Sermon 17 November 1599, Apology · Part 2 · Section 4 – Section 6
His converſation and courſe of life.
He paſſed 24. yeares of his age till he was made Prieſt.His converſation and courſe of life. After this thing thoſe courſes of life, as either to toilſome in the worlde, or more occurrent to daungers, or ſuppoſing the ordes of the Regulars not to be ſtraight enough for that kind of life which his humor beſt liked; he devoted himſelfe wholy to be a member of ſome houſe of the Carthuſian order, vntounto whom he ſecretly fled, hauing giuen his word and oath before certeine of the Canon Regulars of the houſe (that had brought him vp,Hugh breaker of his oath and promiſe. & were vnwilling to part with him) to the contrary.
This Carthuſian inſtitution in moſt harty affection hee preferred before all other orders of Religion, their cuſtōes moſt conſorting his diſpoſition, and befitting his nature: by this action ſpending his times approbation in a Monaſtery of the Carthuſians inſtitution in Burgundy. Hauing obtained his full admiſſiō he liued very rigorouſly in that kind of life,Col. 2.23. and by often recitall of his praiers and foreign hee ſubdued the vntemperate heate of the fleſh, which outragiouſlly burned in him.
Liuing in the rigor of this diſciplin he was made Prieſt. His over-much abſtinence bred many diſeaſes, and much crudity and indigeſtion in his body, and by iſſue thereof many daungerous malladies iniutious to his health & life. In this he obſerued not the diſcretion that St. Baſill hath perſwaded wiſe and holy men to followe,foreign. that they may long ſerue Gods glory in the church, and the benefitt of the Commō wealths wherin they liue, in theſe words: As we ought to abſtaine from things, that inflame the body, and ſtirre it vp vntounto luſt: ſo we muſt wiſely governe the body in thoſe things that pertaine to the ſoule: we muſt not turn… as it is in deuteronomy) neither to the right hād, nor to the left, but ſo nouriſh the body as on the one ſide we muſt hauehave a care that it growe not to groſſe, ſo vponupon the other ſide we muſt take heede … it not by over-much abſtinence to an impotency. If …epa…pe… your coach-horſes to much, and make them to fate, they writ eaſily vnhorſe the rider, and caſt out of the coach ſuch as be carried in it, but if yee miniſter thē to litle provender, they wil harder draw the coach-mā out of the mire. To much repletion is an enimy to the body, & may be compared to an over heavy loade of fleſh, vvhichwhich draweth the winges of the ſoule downewarde, and hindereth it from mounting alofie. Beſides as it is impoſſible that, that body which is dieted with groſſe meates, and ingroſſed with ſuperfluity of nouriſhment, ſhould breede pure spirites, and ſerue a minde which aspireth to the knowledge of heavenly things: ſo cōtrariwiſe a bo…y over much weakened in diet by indiſcretion, hardly runneth the race which i… hopeth in the end to attaine vntounto. For by this over-much abſtinence it enſueth that a man that followeth this courſe is not able accordingly to performe that office to others, whom he is bound by Gods law to preſerue. We know that Mr. condēned iuſtly, who wil not ſhew mercy vntounto his ſervaunt: what mercy then ſhall hee finde, that will not ſhew mercy to his body, that hath many yeares ſerued his ſoule, and without whome his ſoule can hauehave no action in this life profitable to his brother? Laſtly if God will ſay in the day of iudgment to the wicked, when I was hungry yee ſed me not, when I was thirſty ye refreſhed me not, when I was naked ye gaue me noe cloaths, whē I was ſicke ye viſited me not; what ſhall be ſaid to him that feedeth not his owne body when it is hungry, that refreſheth it not with drinke whē it is thirſly, cheriſheth is not whē it is ſicke, but wilfully ſuffereth it to decay and periſh whē it is crazed… Certeinly he hardly ſheweth mercy to his neighbour, Iohn Bale in the a booke of Engliſh Votaries. Pag. 78. Wictam a religious houſe, as ſome ſay, in Wiltſh…e: as others ſay, in the Dioces of Bathe and Wells. Fabia Chro 2 Pet. 2 wi…h faire words and coveto…ſneſſe they ſhall make merchandiſe of you.that ſhevveth not mercy vntounto himſelfe. But to returne to S. Hugh, the ſeverity of his life, & the report of his devotion cauſed him to beſpoken of farre and wide, and toto be talked of in many countries and nations. Herevpō Henry the 2. king of England procured him to be ſent for out of Burgundy into England, and firſt advaunced him to be Prior of an houſe of the Carthuſians it VVictam, vvhichwhich houſe he greatly inriched by his often repaire to the King, at whoſe handes he cunningly ob…i…ed many golden gratifications, and no ſmall ſumme of come to that vſe.
His advancement to his Biſhopricke & his demeanor therein.
After this he was advaunced by the king to the Sea of Lincolne, & was in ſo great favour with him, that the king relled not at any quietneſſe or content of mind till he had raiſed him vp to that dignity, and had cauſed him to bee inveſted in that Epiſcopal ſeate: and to be conſecrated by the Metropolitan of of Canterbury. Being ſettled it this ſea of Lincolne, he ſeverely executed al Eccleſiaſticall cenſures vponupon malefactours, & namely vponupon lavvleſſe Forreſters, whom noe church cenſures in thoſe times coulde ſcarſe ſuppreſſe. But in moſt thinges he croſſed the kings courſes by whome he was advaunced to his dignity and honor, which with what ſpirit he performed God only knoweth:Who liued a litle before But the world thought that he walked very neere to Thom. Beckets ſteppes and liked over much his proceedings.
Hee likevviſe verie ſharpely puniſhed all ſuch Archdeacons of his Iuriſdiction that were bribers, & would not hauehave offenders pennance commuted: his diligence in cō ferring holy Orders vponupon ſuch as ſought them is ſpecified in few words by the author of his life: likewiſe his exhortations to the Archbiſhops and the Fathers of the church to vnity, peace, and concord: his quiet demeanure vvith his Chapter and aſſociates in Lincolne being in diſpoſition naturally cholericke: his religious care in perfourming ſolemne obſequies in funerals, his kiſſing of leapers, his great zeale to life contemplatiue, his great paine and chardge in building the church of Lincolne from the foundation; his carrying of of ſtones to this monument vppon his ovvne ſhoulders, his ſevere adminiſtratiō of iuſtice, his gift of prophecy, are with like brevity by the ſame author regiſtred.
His death and funerall.
Hee continued B. in the Sea of Lincolne ſome 15. or 16. yeares, 58. daies, and deceaſed this life at London the 17. of November in the raigne of K. Iohn as it ſhoulde ſeeme, about the 2. or 3. yeare of this kings raigne. Anno Domi. 1201. being at the time of his deceaſe of the age of threeſcore yeares, or therabout. His body was honourably conveyed from London, where he deceaſed, to Lincolne: his funeralls were ſolemnely attended vponupon all the way thither with great concourſe of people through all the coaſts by the which it was carried: he was buried in a Parliamēt time at Lincolne, K. Iohn and the K. of Scotts then raigning being then preſent at the celebration of his obſequies, accōpanied with Arch. & Biſhops of the Realme, with many Earles, Barons, Abbotts, & great multitude of the Cōmon people. He was canonized to be a Saint by Pope Honorius the 3. An Do. 1280. Some 80. years or therabout after his deceaſe his body was taken vp and ſhrined ſolemnly.The certaine time and yeare of his Canoniz is not noted. Honorius. the 3. Sedit. An 10 menſes 8 who died ab…ut A.D. 1227. Platina de vit Pont. O…ph. Chr…ni…o.