The Lives of Twenty-Two Eminent English Divines, Biography 1
The Life of Doctor Collet Dean of Pauls, who died Anno Christi 1519.
JOhn Collet was born of Worshipfull Parents in London;His birth and education. his father [Henry Collet] having been twice Lord Maior of London, by whom he was carefully trained up in learning. In his younger daies he travelled into France and Italy, His travels.whereby he much improved his learning.His going to Oxford. At his return into England he went to Oxford, commenced Doctor of Divinity, and began to read publickly upon Pauls Epistles instead of Scotus and Tho. Aquinas, which before were only in request in that University.
When he came to London he Preached often,He is famous for preaching. His character. and had a very great Auditory both of Courtiers and Citizens. His diet was very frugall; his life upright and unblamable: In discipline he was very severe, in so much as being made Dean of Pauls, his Canons complained that they were held in too much by him. He alwaies preferred the honest and honourable estate of Matrimony before the unchast single life of Priests. At dinner time he used to have some portion of Scripture read to him, either out of Pauls Epistles or Solomons Proverbs. He used no supper at all.
He was no friend to the irreligious religious orders of Monks and Friars. He was an enemy to the barbarous Divinity of the School-Doctors, as of Scotus, and Thomas Aquinas, insomuch as when Erasmus highly commended Aquinas for his learning and acutenesse,His judgment of T. Aquinas. Doctor Collet answered; What tell you me of the learning of that man, who unlesse he had been of an arrogant and presumptious spirit, durst never have taken upon him to discusse and define all things so boldly and rashly as he did? And except he had rather been worldly minded then heavenly, he would never so have polluted Christs wholsome Doctrine with mans prophane Doctrine, as he hath done.
The Bishop London at this time was Fitz James, who of a long time bore a great grudge to Dr Collet, The Bishops hate him. And article against him.and therefore joyning with two other Bishops, they entred an action of complaint against him before Dr Warham Archbishop of Canterbury. The Articles exhibited against him were three. First, For preaching against the worshipping of Images. Secondly, About hospitality, for that he preaching upon those words in the Gospel, Feed, feed, feed; having expounded the two first for feeding by Doctrine and example, the third he expounded for feeding by hospitality; yet not so much for feeding the body as the soul by good counsel and conference. The third was for speaking against such as preached bosom Sermons, declaring nothing to the people but what they bring in their Papers with them: This the Bishop of London used to do, and therefore took it as spoken against himself, which much irritated him against Dr Collet. But the Archbishop more wisely weighing the matter, and being well acquainted with the worth of Collet, The Archbishop frees him.so took his part against his Accusers, that at that time he freed him out of trouble.
The Bishops implacable malice.Another design of Fitz James was to make him an heretick for translating the Pater noster into English, but the Archbishop holp him out of that also.
Yet the Bishops malice was restlesse, for when he could not prevail against Dr Collet before the Archbishop, he laid a train to accuse him to the King, and the occasion thereof was this: About this time King Henry the eighth was preparing War against France, and the Bishop with his complices took advantages against Dr Collet, for that in one of his Sermons he had seemed to preferre Peace before any kind of Warre, though never so just. For this they inveyed against him in their Sermons,They accuse him to the King. and traduced him also before the King; Yet on good Friday after, Dr Collet preached before the King, at which time he treated upon the Victory of Christ, exhorting all Christians to fight under Christs standard against the devil; adding moreover what an hard thing it was so to do. He shewed also that all they who upon private hatred or ambition took weapons against their adversaries, one Christian to destroy another, they did not fight under Christs Banner but under Satans. He exhorted therefore all Christians in their Wars, rather to make Christ their Prince and Captain in fighting against their enemies, then to imitate Julius Caesar, Alexander, &c. The King hearing this,The King favoures him. and fearing lest the hearts of his souldier should by these words be withdrawn from the Wars, took him aside into his Garden after Sermon, and had much private conference with him. Bishop Fitz-James and his a associates seeing this, were now confident that they should see Collet presently sent Prisoner to the Tower, and therefore they waited for his return out of the Garden; But contrary to their expectation, the King used him very courteously, bad him put on his Cap, much commended him for his learning and integrity of life, and agreed with him in all points that he had taught; onelyonly he desired him, lest the rude Souldiers should misinterpret that which he had said, that in his next Sermon he would explain himself more fully to them, which afterwards he did accordingly: And so after long communication, and great promises of favour, the King gently dismissed him with these words, Let every man have his Doctor as himself best liketh, this shall be my Doctor. His adversaries seeing and hearing this, dust never after that time molest him any further.
He did many excellent works of Piety and Charity, and amongst the rest he erected that famous foundation of Pauls School London, His Charity.where one hundred fifty three poor mens sons should be taught freely, and for this end he built a very convenient dwelling house for the Schoolmaster. He assigned also a large annual stipend both for the Head-Master and Usher, whom he willed rather to be chosen out of the number of married men, then of single Priests with their suspected chastity. He left sundry rents and houses for the payment of those stipends, which he committed to the oversight of the Worshipfull company of Mercers in London. He caused to be ingraven upon the School in Latine, Schola Catechisationis puerorum in Christi Opt. Max. fide, & bonis literis, Anno Christi M.D.X. The first Moderator of this School was Mr William Lilly, a man no lesse eminent for his Learning then Dr Collet was for this Foundation; he made the Latine Grammer which ever since by authority hath been used in all Schools.
Dr Collet was very expert in the Scriptures, especially in Pauls Epistles, which he hath illustrated by his Commentaries. He held Justification freely by the merits of Christs, and not by our own works. He was an enemy to the idle and unchast life of the Popish Clergy. He abhorred those that persecuted the Professors of the truth. He died Anno Christi 1519. and was buried in Pauls Church,His death. upon whose Tomb Mr Lilly engraved this Motto, Disce mori mundo; vivere disce Deo.