A Memorial Offered to John Williams, Part of biography 2 · Letter 4 – Letter 8

A Memorial Offered to John Williams · Part of biography 2 · Letter 4 – Letter 8

p. 19Moſt gracious Sovereign, and my dear Maſter,

WHile I ſpare my ſelf at home for a few days, to be quite rid of an Ague, which I brought from Southampton, I do humbly crave your Majeſty's Pardon, to make my Addreſs in theſe Lines, which I will contract to ſo narrow a room as the Matter will poſſibly give me leave. Firſt, as touching the Information of the Acceſs I ſhould give at Oxford, to thoſe dangerous Perſons of the Houſe of Commons, which your Majeſly was pleas'd moſt graciouſly to intimate unto me at Woodſtock (for which Goodneſs I am oblig'd to ſerve you faithfully and induſtriouſly as long as I live, and am able, and to pray for you, when I can do no more) as I remonſtrated before, ſo I vow again to Almighty God; I never ſpake directly or indirectly to above three of them in my Life: nor to any one of them (that one time to Philips excepted, with the Privity, and as I hoped, for the Service of my Lord-Duke) during the Continuance of the Sitting at Oxford. Were it otherwiſe, it were impoſſible in a Family of Sixty Perſons, as mine was, to have it conceal'd. I add farther, That if it can be proved, that I let fall the least word to any Perſon of the one, or other Houſe, oppoſite to any known, or revealed end of your Majeſties, I am content to remain guilty of whatever the Malice, or Suſpicion of any Man ſhall ſuggest against me. Secondly, If I have offended your Majeſty in that bumble Motion I made at Chriſt-Church, that your Majeſty would ſay in your Speech unto the Parliament; that in your Actions of Importance, and in the Diſpoſitions of what Sums of Monies your People ſhould beſtow upon you, you would take the Advice of a ſettled, and a conſtant Council, I do humbly ſubmit my ſelf to your Royal Judgment therein, and do beg your gracious Pardon, for any thing I ſaid amiſs in matter, or manner. But I take God in Heaven to witneſs, I had no aim at all to draw your Majeſty to aſperſe thereby either the times paſt (for that was now paſt all Counſel) or p. 21the time preſent: for your Majeſty is but entred into your Reign: Or to admoniſh your Majeſty, for I take God to witneſs, I held it no ways neceſſary: but did, and do believe, it is your abſolute Reſolution to govern by Council. And much leſs was it to make you go leſs in your Power. For many Kings in Parliament have ſaid as much, Se actumo… majora negotia per aſſenſum Magnatum de Conciliis, who intended not to turn Dukes of Venice, but (as they proved indeed) great and mighty Monarchs at home, and abroad. But my only aim was (as I ſhall anſwer it at the laſt day) to ſave my Lord of Buckingham from thoſe Invectives in this kind, which I ſaw falling upon hi…, and to diſpoſe the Commons, by that Clauſe of your Majeſty's Speech, to a ſhort, and a giving Seſſion. If I had not been free herein from all Siniſter ends, I had never dealt ſo earneſtly with my Lord-Duke the night before, that he himſelf would be pleaſed to move it to your Majeſty. Laſtly, what Proteſtation I have made for your Majeſty, I do now, before God and you, make the like for my Lord-Duke's Service, a Perſon ſo much, and ſo deſervedly favour'd by your Majeſty, that I have not run any way at all with any Perſon of the one, or the other Houſe, for the ſtirring, fomet…ing, or countenancing of any Accuſation, Aſperſion, or other diſſervice whatſoever against his Lordſhip, either in the firſt, or the ſecond Acceſs of this laſt ſitting. Nor have I ever wiſh'd his Grace any more hurt, than to my own Soul, from that very hour your Majeſty's moſt bleſſed Father ſent me unto his Grace at Royſton, to this very inſtant. And this I avow to be true, as I deſire to find Favour from God, and my King. I write unto your Majeſty under theſe Proteſtations to give your Majeſty only) not any Man elſe) all fitting ſatisfaction, to whoſe Goodneſs I confeſs my ſelf unexpreſſibly bound. Les me not, I beſeech your Majeſty, in point of Juſtice loſe your Favour, upon groundleſs Suſpicious of other M…n, who may themſelves hereafter be better informed: But let me ſtand, or fall upon year Majeſty; own Knowledge derived from the Information of indifferent, and diſ-interoſſed Perſons; upon which I will moſt willingly, and thankfully repoſe my part in your Favour, and mine own Happineſs. In Confidence whereof I caſt my ſelf at your Majeſty's Feet, &c.

23. This came to Salisbury, and was ſhewn to my Lord-Duke: which put his Cabinet to meet together again. And 'twas a notable Shift which came into their Heads, and wrought upon the King's Judgment, as that which had likelihood of Reaſon. Which was thus, that as the Keeper had been complain'd of, ſo he ſhould be charg'd home with his own Words; nay, with his own Letters: But none durſt accuſe him, till he was out of his Greatneſs. Upon the Expiration of that, the Proofs ſhould be brought in: who coming about the firſt Week in October to Salisbury, and hearing this, told ſuch, as were deſired to carry it to the King, and the great Lord, that he would not ſly the Tilt, nor ſtart from any colour of Accuſation. That the World would ſee how prepoſterous it was firſt to puniſh, and then to bring to Judgment. Multis minatur, qui uni facit injuriam. The wrong that was done to one Man, would affright all others with that Oppreſſion. What Lord, or Gentleman in England, that had Place and Means, would think himſelf ſafe upon the Example of ſuch Proceedings? From the hour that the Keeper committed this Meſſage to truſty Friends to deliver it, the Gorgen's Head had a Veil drawn before it, and it never confronted him either at the Council-Table, or in any Court of Juſtice, but was laid ſtill for ever. Yet was not a jot the better for it. The Suſpicion was ſmother'd, and yet liv'd, and wrought as much to his prejudice, as if he had been tried before the Court of Areopagites, and convicted by their Verdict. Only this Happineſs did live with him, and doth ſurvive him, that ſuch as have no Intereſt in it, but the diſcovery of Truth, do ſee, it was Crimen ſine accuſatore, Sententia ſine Concilio, damnatio ſine defenſione, Tul. Act. 7. in Verrem. He that was degraded without hearing, Tryal, Proof, Witneſs, Judges, is overthrown by Calumny, not by Accuſation. For Accuſation admits a fair, and a legal Proceſs: Calumny is believed without a Conteſtation. After this, it was not long before ſome quick Eye eſpied a way to execute the King's Reſolution, for diveſting the Party of his honourable Place, but with ſuch Moderation, as would load him with no impeachment of his Service, but barely recalling the Great-Seal from his Cuſtody, becauſe it was committed to him at firſt upon triennial Truſt, and no longer. Which was no unwonted Revocation, ſays the great, and learned Luminary of Records, Sir Henry Spelman in his Gloſſary upon the word Cancellarius, Non perpetuus olim fuit honor, ſed triennalis, vel quadriennalis. This device ſtruck the Tally for all Debts, and Claims: and left the loſer a more light Heart, though he parted with a heavy Purſe. For he p. 22took his farewel without the leaſt Charge of Treſpaſs, or Miſcarriage: he was caſt down, but fell not in the Dirt. Sua vulnera ridet— Germanam comitata fidem, as Pruden. in Pſychom. upon the Perſecuted Church. Yet, though nothing was alter'd in him to appearance, when he was doom'd to reſign his Office with ſuch a plauſible Diſmiſſion, pruning away the Circumſtances of it, I cannot ſee how the ſubſtance of the Act could chooſe but diſpleaſe him. For whether it come from a white, or a black Whip, the Wound will be blew. The Tranſactions, with which all that remain'd were wound up, were firſt between the Lord Conway, and the Lord-Keeper: Laſtly, with his Majeſty, if they belong, let him skip them, that doth not like them. He that would ſatisfie Poſterity, knows not how to leave them out. And it will be worth the noting, to learn from a wiſe Man, how to manage a broken Fortune. One of the firſt things that Comines praiſes in King Lewis his Maſter is, Optimòrationem tenebat ex adverſis rebus eluctandi. To be fallen into great disfavour, and yet to come off with no blot of Credit, proves him that could do it a great Maſter in State-wiſdom. A Boat-ſwain will tell you, That a rotten Ship had need of a good Pilot.

On the 15th. of October the Lord Conway came to the Lord-Keeper's Lodgings in Salisbury, and began thus: My Lord, His Majeſty, ſome four days ago, gave me a Command to deliver a Meſſage unto you, the which becauſe it was ſharp, and there might be occaſion for change of Councils, I forbore to deliver till this Morning. That is, That his Majeſty underſtanding that his Father, who is with God, had taken a Reſolution, that the Keepers of the Great-Seal of England ſhould continue but from three Years to three Years, and approving very well thereof, and reſolved to obſerve the Order during his own Reign, he expects that you ſhould ſurrender up the Seal by Allhallowtide next, alledging no other cauſe thereof. And that withal, that having ſo done, you ſhould retire your ſelf to your Biſhoprick of Lincoln.

Anſwer. I am his Majeſty's moſt humble Servant and Vaſſal, to be commanded by him in all things whatſoever: The Great-Seal is his Majeſty's. And I will be ready to deliver up the ſame to any Man, that his Majeſty ſhall ſend with his Warrant to require it. And do heartily thank God, and his Majeſty, that his calling for the Seal is upon no other ground. (No indeed, ſaid Mr. Secretary, no other ground that I know.) Only this laſt Clauſe ſeemeth ſtrange unto me, that I ſhould be reſtrained to my Biſhoprick, or any place elſe. And I humbly appeal to his Majeſty's Grace, and Favour therein. Becauſe it is no fault in me that his Majeſty or his Father, hath made ſuch a Reſolution: Nor do I diſpute againſt it; although the King that dead is continued me in the Place after the three Years ended: and the King that now is deliver'd me the Seal without any Condition, or limitation of Time. And therefore deſerving no reſtraint, I humbly deſire to be left to my diſcretion, which I will ſo uſe, as ſhall be no way offenſive to his Majeſty. Lord Conway. I conceive it not to be a reſtraint, but to mount in effect, that his Majeſty intends not to employ you at the Table, but leaves you free to go to your Biſhoprick. Anſwer. My Lord, I deſire your favourable Interceſſion for an Explanation of that Point. And I beſeech your Lordſhip to move his Majeſty, that I may attend upon him (conſidering there is no offence laid to my charge) to preſent unto his Majeſty two humble Petitions, nothing concerning this buſineſs in hand, but in general, the one concerning my Reputation, and the other my maintenance. Lord Conway. I ſhall move his Majeſty in the beſt Faſhion I can, for your content therein. Anſwer. I thank your Lordſhip, and I doubt not of it: and the rather becauſe I vow before God I am not guilty of the leaſt Offence againſt his Majeſty, and am ready to make it good upon my Life. And I make the like Proteſtation for any unworthineſs done againſt the Duke: whoſe Hand peradventure may be in this Buſineſs. Lord Conway. I am ever ready to do good Offices: and if my Lord of Middleſex had been perſwaded by me, I believe I had ſaved him: I am the Duke's Servant, but no Inſtrument of his to deſtroy Men. My Lord, I being latly demanded by a great Perſonage, if it were true, that your Lord was guilty of ſuch unworthy Practices towards the Duke, I anſwer'd plainly, I knew of no ſuch things. For which my Lord Conway having receiv'd due Thanks from me, he repeated my Anſwers, and my Petition to the King in few words, that he might not be miſtaken. At the parting, my Lord Conway ſpake about the time of Reſignation. I ſaid it was all one to me, if it were before Chriſtmas, as good ſoon as late. Then I ask'd his Lordſhip if I was reſtrained from the Board before the delivering of the Seal: His Lordſhip anſwer'd, He knew of no ſuch Intent.

p. 2325. October 16. Waiting on his Majeſty by my Duty and Place to go to Church, my Lord Conway told me, He was now for me: I thank'd him, and paſt on to the Church, heard the Sermon, and at the Anthem after Sermon, deſir'd him to tell me my Anſwer. He ſaid, Well, do you long for it? And ſo we went on to the upper-end of the Quire, and ſaid to this effect. This Morning entring into our diſpatches with his Majeſty, I deſir'd him to ſtay a while, that I might relate your Anſwer to him: I told his Majeſty, that you yielded to his Command with all poſſible Obedience: that you ſaid the King remanded but his own, which you were very willing, and ready to reſtore. That for the Condition of three Years you would not diſpute againſt it: being a way, that once you had your ſelf recommended to the late King his Father. But for the Clauſe of retiring to your Biſhoprick (which ſeemed to be a reſtraint, and no cauſe of Offence expreſt) it wounded you much: and you ſent it back to his Majeſty's Conſideration. Then I acquainted his Majeſty with your Lordſhip's deſire, to wait upon him, and to preſent his Majeſty, without touching upon things ſettled and reſolv'd, two Petitions; the one concerning your Reputation, the other concerning your Eſtate. His Majeſty ſaid, for the firſt, which is your retiring, he meant no reſtraint of Place: but for ſome Queſtions that might be renewed, and for ſome Conſiderations known to himſelf, he intended not to uſe your Service at the Council-Table for a while, until his Pleaſure ſhould be further known. And for your Eſtate, you had no Wife, and Children. You had a Biſhoprick; and his Father, to help you to bear the Dignity of your Office, gave you leave to hold the Deanry. His Majeſty intended not to debar you of any of theſe, until he ſhould provide you of a better. But he was content to admit you to ſpeak with him when you pleas'd, ſo as you endeavour'd not to unſettle the former Reſolutions. I gave his Lordſhip hearty thanks for his friendly, and faithful Carriage of my Petitions, and ſpeedy return of an Anſwer, and aſſur'd his Lordſhip it was as much Favour from him, as I could expect, or deſire. Then I took occaſion to kneel afterward, and thank'd his Majeſty for his gracious Meſſage ſent by my Lord, who preſently told my Lord Conway of it, and my Lord told me of it again. And that the King left it to me, when between this and Allhallowtide to deliver the Seal: which he deſir'd for the manner to be done moſt to my Content, and Reputation: and to have ſome time to ſend for him that was to ſucceed. I anſwer'd I was ready whenever his Majeſty would ſend his Warrant. Which my Lord deſir'd I would draw up; and ſo we parted.

26. I ſent upon Tueſday the 18th. of October, to deſire leave to ſpeak with the King, and Mr. Tho. Cary ſent me word, his Majeſty would ſpeak with me the next Morning. But after Sermon the King told my Lord Conway what I had done, and was in a long, and ſerious Diſcourſe with him. Then my Lord Conway (the King being gone to dinner) followed me into the Cloyſter, and told me what the King had told him: And that he conceiv'd his Majeſty was afraid, that I would preſs him to yield Reaſons of thoſe two Acts of his, the removing me from the Seal, and my abſtaining from the Board. That his Lordſhip found the King much troubled thereat: and as a Friend, nay as a Chriſtian man, he adviſed me by way of Counſel, not to do ſo: becauſe it would much perplex the King, and do me no good. I anſwer'd, That I ſhould falſifie my Word to his Lordſhip, if I ſhould ſpeak unto his Majeſty upon any other Points, than thoſe of my Reputation, and Means. And ſhould not come near thoſe forbidden Rocks, unleſs it were in one Point, which I did intend to move, but with his Lordſhip's Approbation: and that was to preſerve as much the Honoar of the King, as mine own, that for the manner of wiſhing my forbearance for a time from the Council-Board, his Majeſty laying nothing to my Charge, would not be pleas'd to lay it as a Command by his Secretary, but leave it to my Diſcretion, who would be ſure to uſe the matter, as to give his Majeſty no Offence. That the reſt of the Points were matters of means, which I repeated to my Lord Conway one by one. And his Lordſhip ſaid, He thought verily the King would grant them every one. And his Lordſhip telling me again of his fear of the King's Offence, if I ſhould endeavour to unſettle his Reſolution, and that the King might fall ſharp upon me, I anſwer'd, That his Lordſhip knew I had neglected the time to wrangle with the King, which ſhould have been done upon the firſt meſſage: Againſt which I had two unanſwerable Objections. The firſt, that the King that dead is, releaſed me of the Reſtraint to three Years in my Office, and continued me in the Place four Years. The ſecond, that the King my Maſter delivered me the Seal as abſolutely, as his Predeceſſors did to other Keepers, and Chancellors, without reviving or mentioning any ſuch Condition. But that I had waved of all Objections, and ſubmitted at the firſt word to relinquiſh my Place. And for ſharpneſs, or the like word, p. 24which paſſed from his Lordſhip on Sunday laſt, or that the King wiſht my abſence from the Board, leſt Matters might be further queſtion'd (his Lordſhip ſaid he remembred it not) I ſaid, Nec timeo, nec opto, it was a thing I did neither fear like a guilty Man, nor raſhly deſire like a vain-glorious Man. But my wiſhes were to retire to the Country, as without a Charge, by the King's own Confeſſion, ſo, as near as may be, without any puniſhment: which concern'd the King in Honour, I thought, as much as it did me. For God never deſtroys his Creature, but for ſome Sin. And if his Majeſty did think the loſing of my Place did diſquiet me, to give him ſatisfaction, I vowed, and proteſted it did not: which my Lord-Duke alſo had under my hand. And that with his Majeſty's leave and favour, and ſome conſideration had of my Fortunes, I was willing to leave the Seal. Only I expected I ſhould remain a Councellor, tho' leſt to my diſcretion, when to attend, and be reſpected by the Lords from time time, as a Member of the Board. My Lord ſaid, He conceiv'd it no otherwiſe, and that I might promiſe my ſelf all reſpect from that Table, and his Majeſty in that kind. Then ſaid I, my Lord, There remains no more, but that I ſhew a Letter to your Lordſhip written to his Majeſty, if you like it, which ſhall ſpeak all my mind, becauſe I will be utterly ſilent, when I come at Evening before his Majeſty, ſave in preferring my Petitions, in which your Lordſhip did encourage me: Which Letter in the Copy his Lordſhip read over, and carried the Authentick with him. And ſo we parted.

27. After Dinner his Majeſty took the Letter, and read that which followeth:

Moſt gracious Sovereign,

HAving done your bleſſed Father the beſt Service I was able while he lived (I am ſure ſuch as was acceptable to him) and ſome good Service at his Death; and being now fitted with a great deal of Induſtry, to do ſome Service to your Majeſty in your great Affairs, yet it is your Royal Pleaſure to diſplace me, not for any Crime or Unſerviceableneſs, but to ſatisfie the Importunity of a great Lord. But I am ready with all Submiſſion to bow myſelf to the Pleaſure of God and my King. It is in your Majeſty's Power to ſay to me your Vaſſal, as a Greek Emperor did to an Arch-biſhop, Ego te Furne condidi, ego te deſtruam. I caſt my ſelf down at your Majeſty's Feet, and do render your Majeſty my unexpreſſible Thanks, that it hath pleaſed your Majeſty to diſcharge me of this great Place, without giving me any cauſe at all to uſe an Apology. Yet being ſtill haunted with the old Aſperſions in Court (the which were they true in any part, would fret, and tear my Soul in pieces) give me leave, dread Sovereign, to make this laſt proteſtation, in the ſight of that God, who muſt judge you, and my Accuſers (if any ſuch there be) another day, that in all my Carriage in the laſt Parliament I am not guilty in Thought, Word, or Deed, of any one Act, Advice, Speech, or Counſel diſſerviceable to your Majeſty, or any way diverting that end, which your Majeſty propoſed unto us concerning that Aſſembly. Upon the ſame proteſtation I likewiſe avow before God, and your Majeſty, that I am not conſcious of the leaſt Unfaithfulneſs againſt my Lord-Duke, by way of inſinuating, encouraging, or abetting any one Clamour, or Aſperſion againſt his Grace, or by omitting any one friendly Word or Action upon any opportunity I found to do him Service. Your Majeſty can tell how I put my Life into his Hand and Power above a Year ſince in the Buſineſs of the Spaniſh Embaſſadors. And what Plot could I have againſt his Grace in the Meeting at Oxford, when I oppos'd it atHampton-Court, and Ricot, and would have had it put off at Woodſtock? That I am as mere a Stranger, as any Lord that ſerves your Majeſty, to all thoſe diſaffected Perſons that appear'd ſo oppoſite to your Royal ends in the Houſe of Commons. That I never ſpake in all my Life with any of them (excepting one, and at one time only, and that by Order and Commiſſion) concerning any Parliamentary-buſineſs whatſoever. That I am content, if at any time admitted to my Anſwer, I ſhall be ſufficiently convicted in any of theſe Premiſes, or any other Particular included under any of theſe, to renounce your Majeſty's Favour as long as I live, and (which is the only Hell upon Earth to me) never look on your face again. But if all theſe Informations againſt a poor Biſhop, that ſo ſerved your Father in his Life, and at his Death, be grounded only upon Suſpicion, Malice, or Miſapprehenſion, and be cried down (as they needs muſt be) by all the Members of the one, and the other Houſe, pity me, dread Sovereign, and let me retire with the comfortable Aſſurance of your Majeſty's Favour, that I may ſpend my days quietly in the Service of my God, in ſerving whom, as I reſolve to do, I ſhall never fail to ſerve your Majeſty, whom God Almighty proſper with all Succeſs in this World, and with all Happineſs, and eternal Glory in that to come.

p. 2528. The Letter being read, He was call'd for to the King immediately and had acceſs to make his Petitions. His Requeſts were juſt, modeſt, and ſuitable to his Condition: and the King's Anſwers Princely and Prudent. The Petitioner ask'd firſt for his Majeſty's Grace and Favour in general. His Majeſty granted it, and gave him twice his Hand to kiſs. 2. The Petitioner humbly thanking his Majeſty for his gracious Promiſe, to take away none of his Church-Preferments, till he had given better in lieu thereof, beſought his Majeſty to keep the ſame benevolent Mind towards him: The King ſaid, It was his Intention. 3. The Petitioner beſought his Majeſty to remember his Father's Promiſe, made before all the Lords, that whenſoever he took away the Seal, he would place me in as good a Biſhoprick, or Arch-Biſhoprick, as he could: a Promiſe not only ſeconded, but drawn from your Father firſt by your Majeſty. The King ſaid, There was no ſuch Place yet void: when any fell then it would be time to make this Request unto him, 4. The Petitioner beſought, that his Majeſty would diſmiſs him freely and abſolutely without any Command from the Table, but to leave it to his diſcretion to forbear: The King ſaid, He ever intended it ſo, and never ſaid a word to the contrary, but expected he would not offend by voluntary Intruſion. 5. The Petitioner beſought that his Majeſty would declare unto the Lords, that he had willingly, and readily yielded to his Majeſty's Pleaſure, and that I part in your Favour and good Opinion, and am ſtill your Servant. The King ſaid, He would, but ſays he, I look that no Petitions be made for you by any Man at that time, but only for my Favour in general. 6. The Petitioner beſought that his Majeſty, in his good time would make his Atonement with my Lord-Duke, either upon, or without Examination of thoſe Informations, which the Lord-Duke had receiv'd againſt him. The King ſaid, It became not him, a King, to take up the Quarrels between his Subjects: And that the Duke had never expreſt any ſuch Enmity againſt him before his Majeſty. The Petitioner thank'd his Majeſty for the laſt part of the Anſwer, which revived him not a little, as did a ſhort Letter lately received from the Counteſs, his Grace's Mother, which he beſought the King to read, and 'twas this.

Noble Lord,

I Muſt not forget my Promiſe to your Lordſhip: I have had large Conference with my Son about you. And he tells me that the King is determin'd to put another into your Place. But for his own part he … he is in Love, and Charity with your Lordſhip: And that he thinks your Lordſhip … leave the Place better than you found it; and that you have done the King good … in it. For the reſt I ſhall give you better Satisfaction when I ſee you next, than I … do by Letter. In the mean time, I am ſorry there ſhould be any unkindneſs betwixt your Lordſhip, and him that is ſo near to me, and that wiſheth you both ſo well,

Mar. Buckingham. Burleigh, Octob. 12.

The Petitioner went on, and beſought, that whereas, by the King his Father's direction, he had bought a Penſion, no new one, but the fame that was paid to Viſcount Wallingford, of 2000 Marks per Annum, and had disburſed 3000 l. down for it, with which his Majeſty was acquainted, and lik'd it, that his Majeſty would be pleaſed, either to buy the Penſion of him for the Sum laid out, and extinguiſh it: or to aſſign it to be paid him out of the Tenths and Subſidies of the Biſhoprick, as before he had appointment to receive it out of the Hamper. The King ſaid, Aſſignments were naught, but he would take order with his Treaſurer, either to pay it, or buy it, as ſhould be found moſt convenient. 8. The Petitioner beſought, that his Majeſty would pleaſe to beſtow the next Prebend in Weſtminſter, that was void, upon his Library-keeper, as his Father had promis'd, or to let him reſume his Books again. The King ſaid, it was full of Reaſon. 9. The Petitioner beſought, that his Majeſty would pleaſe to ratifie a Grant made by his Father of four Advouſons to St. John's Colledge in Cambridge, whereof two he had bought with his Money, and two the King gave him for the good of that Society. The King ſaid, He would ratifie the Grant, and give way to amend any Errors in the Form, or in the Paſſing. 10. The Petitioner beſought, that he might have leave to retire to a little Lodge lent to him by the Lord Sandys, where my Lord Conway may receive the Seal, when his Majeſty commanded it, in his Journey towards Windſor. The King granted it. Laſtly, The Petitioner beſought, that the King would not be offended at him, if upon p. 26his diſcharge, reports were made that he was diſcontented, which he proteſted he was not, giving over ſo comfortably in his Majeſty's Favour. The King ſaid, He would do him that Juſtice, and that he little valued Reports: And, with a ſweet Countenance, gave him his Hand to kiſs with a gracious Valediction.

29. Poets uſe to have quaint Alluſions in their Fictions: as when they tell us, that Pallas ſtruck Tireſias blind, but gave him a Staff to walk with, Quo veluti duce veſtigiis inoffenſis graderetur, Politia. Miſcel. p. 80. So the King had ſet the Keeper but a Week's Period to keep his Office, but gave him good words to carry him merrily home. And certainly his Majeſty meant real Performance of all his Anſwers, both becauſe, he limited them ſo warily, in all his Conceſſions; and becauſe, if he were left to himſelf, he lov'd to keep his Word. For he was obſerv'd in all his Reign, that he ſeldom trod awry, but by miſtruſting his own Judgment, and falling from it for their Perſwaſions, that came ſhort of him a great deal in Wit, and Honeſty. It was an Error: For a King ſhould appear in that Magnitude, that no Man ſhould expect to deceive him, or remove him from his Sentence. If he be too paſſive, he will be counted, at the beſt, but in the middle Rank of Men: who ſhould not be contented with mediocrity of Reputation. For a Prince that is not valued for great, and excellent, will be contemn'd. Yet blame not that which came not from Sin, but from Softneſs. And ſay of his Majeſly, as Eudaeus did of his Maſter Francis the firſt, Vir ad omnia ſumma natus: dignuſque qui ſu…e naturae magis, quàm hiantibus aliorum cupiditatibus indulgeret. The forlorn Keeper felt the Heavineſs of this Lightneſs, who thought he had obtain'd much: but (excepting the four Advouſons confirm'd to St. John's College) he miſt all that he ſought for, and expected. After he had leſt Salisbury (which was the next day) he could never receive a Farthing of his Penſion, nor bring it to an Audit, to his dying day. Was it not a Debt? True: But it muſt be forborn to be paid, becauſe he did not want it. Muſt the Rich, if they ask their own, be ſent empty away? A Rule for none but the Conſcience of a Leveller. But I preſs it for him, that he wanted it, and more than it, to do Works of Piety and Bravery: to do Works of Splendor and Bounty; which was all the Uſe that he knew to be made of Wealth. As all is ſuperfluous in a burning Candle, but that which the Snuff ſucks up to maintain the Light: So the Life of every Man, eſpecially of a temperate Man, is maintain'd with little: What ſhould he covet more, than ſo much as will keep his Lamp in burning? Nor was the King's Scepter after that day held out to becken to him, to come towards his Majeſty. The Favour of a Prince is ſeldom found again when it is loſt; like Plautus his Captive Maid, Semel fugiendi ſi data eſt occaſi…, nunquam poſt illam poſſis prendere; if ſhe take her to her Heels, and be gone, ſhe will run away ſo far, that ſhe will never be taken. The Attendants about a King are in the fault for this. Who will grow Strangers, and worſe of a ſudden to thoſe that were lately in their Boſom, if a King ſend them off with diſgrace. A caſhiered Courtier is an Almanack of the laſt Year, remembred by nothing but the great Eclipſe. Look for gentle Strains, and Civilities among them, from the No…es to the Huiſhers; but he that truſts to their Faith, and Friendſhip may go ſeek. That which this diſmiſſed Lord did moſt pretend for, was to be called again, after ſome pauſe of time, to the Council-board. But he was utterly forgot: and his grief muſt be the leſs, becauſe he was no Counſellor in the Management of thoſe Contrivances, which bred the Troubles, as 'tis thought, wherein the Kingdom miſcarried: So he reſolv'd not to offer his Preſence, where he ſhould be checkt for appearing. It is ſagely noted by Symmachus, Ep. p. 91. Qui excludi per improbos poſſimus, abeſſe interim velut ex noſtro arbitrio debemus. Let it be my own act, ſays he, to refrain from the Imperial Palace, and let not haughty, and churliſh Men have their Wills to exclude me. But before five days were run out, this relinquiſh'd Lord had intelligence, how the Duke talk'd ſo minaciouſly and loudly, that it made him throw all expectation of future Kindneſs over-board, into the dead Sea of Deſpair. Since this Diſaſter began, he was never couragious, and in good heart till then. Now, as Plato began, he was never couragious, and in good heart till then. Now, as Plato ſays of Socrates his Hemlock-Cup brought to him to drink it, foreign, he did not ſip it, but carouſe it off. So much doth it profit a Man towards a ſettled Mind, to let no falſe Comfort in, when he is in the darkneſs of Miſery. Hermolaus Barbarus had many Troubles ruſhing in upon him, after he was made Patriarch of Aquileia: Whereupon he writes, Politia. Ep. p. 405. I am ſurrounded with Terrors, and Oppoſition: and I look for no better Times hereafter: p. 27which is the beſt, and only true Valour. Non eſt fortis, qui fortis eſt in ſpe: qui perfert mala, etiam ſi duratura viderit, fortis eſt. He that looks for better times, his Hope is his Compenſation: but without Queſtion it is too ſlack for Fortitude.

30. The Sun is now Setting. Upon the 25th. of October Sir John Suckling brought the Warrant from the King to receive the Seal; and the good News came together, very welcome to the Reſignant, that Sir Thomas Coventry ſhould have that Honour. From whom the Kingdom look'd for much good, and found it. Between both thoſe two Worthies in that Office, I may ſtate the Compariſon, as Quintilian hath done between Livy and Saluſt, Pares eos magis fuiſſe, quàm ſimiles; rather Equals than altogether like in the Management of the Place. The Warrant under the Signet went thus.

Charles R. TRuſty and Well-beloved Counſellor we greet you well:

You are to deliver, upon the Receipt hereof, our Great-Seal of England, whereof you are our Keeper, unto our Truſty and Well-beloved Counſellor Sir John Suckling, Controuler of our Houſhold, the Bearer hereof: And this ſhall be a ſufficient Warrant unto you ſo to do.

Given under Our Signet at our Court at Salisbury, the 23d. of October, in the firſt Year of our Reign.

Which was inſtantly obey'd: And the Seal being put into a coſtly Cabinet, in Sir John Suckling's Preſence, the Key of the Cabinet was incloſed in a Letter, cloſed with the Epiſcopal Seal of Lincoln: The Copy whereof remains in theſe Words.

Moſt gracious, and moſt dread Sovereign,

HAving now no other Meditations left, than how to ſerve God and your Majeſty in the Quality of a poor Biſhop, I do humbly crave your Majeſty's Favour in this laſt Paper, which I ſhall preſent to your Majeſty in this kind, that I may preſident my ſelf by two grave Biſhops, St. Ambroſe, and St. Chryſoſtom. In the former I find myſelf diſpos'd for this Civil, as St. Ambroſewas for his natural Death. Non ita vixi ut me vivere pudeat: nee mori timeo, quia bonum habemus Dominum. That as I have not liv'd in my Place ſo altogether unworthily, as to be aſham'd to continue in the ſame: ſo am I not now perturb'd in the quitting of the ſame, becauſe I know I have a good God, and a gracious Sovereign. For the other, I preſent this my laſt, and dying Requeſt, in the very last Words of St. Chryſoſtom: Moriar ego, ſed me mortuo vigeat eccleſia▪ Let me retire to my little Zoar, but let your Gracious Majeſty be pleas'd to recommend …o my moſt able, and deſerving Succeſſor, an eſpecial Care of your Church, and Church-men. To call upon the Judges, who (God's Name be prais'd) are ready enough to hear ſuch Motions, to relieve the poor ſort of Church-men, publickly affronted in their Perſons by factious, and inſolent Juſtices: or judicially wrong'd in their Cauſes by wilful and partial Jurors. Likewiſe to entertain, and countenance their juſt Plaints in that great Court of Chancery, the which, of all the reſt in Weſtminſter-Hall, as not proceeding upon the Verdicts of Lay and Country Juries, hath been ever by thoſe of my Coat held moſt equal, and indifferent. Alſo to mingle always ſome few of the Clergy of best Means, and Diſcretion in the Commiſſion of the Peace: who with their very Preſence, and ſitting in that place, are a great Countenance to their poor Brethren. And withal to keep and preſerve poor Miniſters from the Oppreſſions of malicious Informers, in that great and chargeable Court of the Star-Chamber. Laſtly, to afford all the Clergy of England that Solace and Relief, which his Lordſhip knoweth well they will expect from your Majeſty, ſuch a Son of ſuch a Father. So may God make your Majeſty more victorious than David, more wiſe than Solomon, and every way as good a King as your Majeſty's bleſſed Father: It ſhall be the continual Prayer of,

Your Majeſty's poor Subject and Chaplain, JO. LINCOLN. Foxly, Octob 25.

p. 28This is the Dirge with which that Swan expir'd: Being careful of nothing, but that his poor Brethren might not be trampled upon over his back: eſpecially thoſe that ſerved in Country Cures, among bad Pay-maſters, and narrow-hearted, contentious Chuffs. So I have done with the ex-authorized Lord-Keeper, not fall'n in his worth, or in himſelf, though fall'n from a great Place. Be it juſtly aſcrib'd to him, which Pliny doth to M. Cato, lib. 29. c. 1. Cujus autoritati triumphus, atque cenſura minimum conferunt, tanto plus in ipſo eſt. There was enough in him ſtill, to keep him as great as King James had made him.

31. The Subject which is now under the Quill is the Biſhop of Lincoln. A few late Writers, who want the Poliſhing of Humanity, and the Meekneſs of Chriſtianity, have done him high reproach in ſome Occurencies. They ſhall anſwer for it to God. I will only put this little Syrup into the Reader's Mouth, to take away the ill reliſh of thoſe Defamations, that the Fire of Envy would have gone out by this time, but that there is a Pile of Vertue left behind, to keep it burning Yet even thoſe Men have ſcarce given him a little ſcratch, or no more, anent his Epiſcopal Adminiſtration of his Dioceſs: He made that Office a good Work, 1 Tim. 3.1. Neither did he hold any Preheminence of Place, without an eminence of Worth, and Prudence. For four Years after his Conſecration, he was not in Condition, through the great Burthen of other Imployments, to appear among his Clergy. But it is well known to them that lived under his Charge in thoſe days, that both Miniſtry, and Laity were greatly ſatisfied with his Government. For his Encouragements to the Beſt-deſerving were very kind, his Diſpatches were never intermitted, and his Directions ſtrictly look'd after, to be obſerv'd by thoſe that were under him, in any part of his Juriſdiction. Yet to reach no further than Truth, from this time forward his Preſence wrought more, than his Subſtitutes in his abſence: his Light ſhin'd clearer, and the Influence of it was ſtronger, when he was ſix'd, and reſident in his own Orb. As Columella commends it wittily to an Owner, to live upon his own Ground, if he would thrive; ſays he, Fimus optimus in agro est Domini veſtigium: So the Vineyard of Chriſt in every part of it will proſper beſt, when the Vine-dreſſer himſelf doth walk about the Field. Or to go higher, as Moſes ſaid of the promiſed Land, Deut. 11.12. It is a Land which the Lord thy God cares for: the Eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the Year, to the end: So it runs like a Verſe ſet to the ſame Tune to ſay, that the Eye of God is all the Year long upon that Portion of his Church, where the Dioceſan is not a Stranger, but a Co-habitant, or, if you will, a Companion with his Brethren. And the Biſhop having now no more to do with civil Diſtractions, bethought him inſtantly of the Duty of his Paſtoral Staff, made Proviſion for an Houſhold, which attended him in a great Retinue, and removed from Barkſhire, without touching at London, to Bugden in Hunting donſhire. His Privacy at Foxly conceal'd his Double-diligence, to make haſte to be gone, leſt more Anger ſhould ſhower upon him if he tarried. Wherein I eſpy into Salmaſius his Note upon Solinus, p. 327. That a Lion never runs away faſt from his Enemies, but when he hath got into a ſhady Wood, and cannot be ſeen: Ubi virgulta ſylvaſque penetravit, acerrimo curſu fertur, velut abſcondente turpitudinem loco. Beſide, he that felt the Frowns, or rather the Deſpight of the Court, by being near to it, knew it was wholſome to change Air, to be rid of that Diſeaſe, as well as Hippocrates preſcribes it for the worſt Symptoms of the Body, Aphor. 20. foreign, To go to a new Soil, is good to mitigate an old Sickneſs: No queſtion but being lodg'd now in his Epiſcopal Palace, his moſt proper Watch-Tower, he found it beſt for the beſt Health, that of a quiet Mind, and a good Conſcience. He was in the way to know himſelf better, when he was more alone to himſelf, than in late Years. He was at reſt to make uſe of the Verſe of a judicious Heathen,

Tacitum ſylvas inter reptare ſalubres,

Horat.Curantem quicquid dignum ſapiente, bonoque eſt.

p. 29He might now do, as well as know the meaning, what the Scriptures intend, when they ſay that Rulers go in, and out before the People. For how can they go out unto them, that are never in among them? Elſe they may be out, but never in. Here this Hiſtory hath found him, and ſhall recount things moſt memorable that there concern'd him, ſpeaking after the rate of enough, and not a jot beyond it. This many, both Friends and Strangers to him, have deſired often from the Author of this Piece to be informed in. And it is a quaint Rule which fell from Pliny, Lib. 35. c. 2. N. H. Nullum majus est felicitatis ſpecimen, quàm omnes ſcire cupere, qualis fucrit aliquis. He is happy that hath lived ſo, that many deſire to know how he lived. Into which every one that looks, will like this Order to proceed by, to rank things praiſe-worthy on the right-hand, as it were, by themſelves; and all things on the other hand, which fell upon him by malevolent, and vexatious Accidents. Many of the one ſort, and the other were coincident in time, yet it is no error to part them in the Relation, becauſe they are diſtinct in Condition. His Vertues were ever in motion; and ſo were his Croſſes. For the firſt he was not exalted in Mind, becauſe he knew they were the Gifts of God: For the ſecond he was not dejected, for he knew they were the Tryals of God. Joſeph's party-colour'd Coat might portend many. Changes in his Life; but it was an Ornament; and he wo…e it with diſtinction from his Brethren, becauſe his Father lov'd him.

32. I open the Door now to let the Biſhop in to his Exchange. He came to his Seat of Bugden at diſadvantage, in the Winter. And Winter cannot be more miry in any Coaſt of England, than it is round about it. He found an Houſe nothing to his content to entertain him. 'Twas large enough, but rude, waſte, untrimm'd, and, in much of the outward Dreſs, like the grange of a Farmer. From the time of his Predeceſſor, Dr. Ruſſel, that was Lord Chancellor of England, and ſat there in the Days of Edward the Fourth, and laid out much upon that place, none that followed him, no not Splendian Woolſey, did give it any new Addition: but rather ſuffered it to be overgrown with the Decays of an ill-favour'd Antiquity. This Biſhop did Wonders in a ſhort time, with the Will of a liberal Man, and the Wit of a good Surveyor: For, in the ſpace of one Year, with many Hands, and good Pay, he turn'd a ruinous thing into a ſtately Manſion. The out Houſes, by which all ſtrangers paſt, were the greateſt Eye-ſore; theſe he pluck'd down to the Ground, and re-edified with convenient Beauty, as well for uſe, as uniformity. Theſe were Stables, Barns, Granaries, Houſes for Doves, Brewing, and Dairies: And the outward Courts, which were next them, he caſt into fair Allies, and Graſs-plats. Within Doors the Cloyſters were the trimmeſt part of his Reparations: the Windows of the Square beautified with Stories of colour'd Glaſs; the Pavement laid ſmooth and new: and the Walls on every ſide hung with Pieces of exquiſite Workmen in Limning, collected and provided long before. The like, and better was done for the Chappel in all theſe Circumſtances; and with as much coſt as it was capable of: For the over-ſight from the beginning was, that it was the only Room in the Houſe that was too little. He planted Woods, the Trees in many places deviſed by him into Ranks and Proportions: But Woods are the moſt needful Supplies for Poſterity, and the moſt neglected. He fenced the Park, and ſtored it with Deer. He provided for good Husbandry, and bought in the Leaſes of the Demeaſnes, for them that would ſtock the Grounds; which improvidently, and for hunger of Monies, were let out to the very Gates. And though Ariſtotle 4th. Eth. ſay of a magnificent Man, that he is not foreign, coſtly upon himſelf: yet here was one of that Quality, that laid out much for his own Delight, and Satisfaction. He loved ſtirring and walking, which he uſed two hours or more, every day in the open Air, if the Weather ſerv'd: Eſpecially if he might go to and fro, where good Scents, and Works of well-form'd Shape were about him. But that this was his innocent Recreation, it would amount to an Error, that he ſhould bury ſo much Money in Gardens, Arbors, Orchards, Pools for Water-fowls, and for Fiſh of all variety, with a Walk raiſed three Foot from the Ground, of about a Mile in compaſs, ſhaded and covered on each ſide with Trees, and Pales. He that reports this knows beſt, that all the Nurſeries about London for fair Flowers, and choice Fruits were ranſack'd to furniſh him. Alcinous, if he had lived at Bugden, could not have liv'd better. And all this, take it together, might have ſtood to become five Ages after his Reparation. But what is there that appears now; or what remains of all this Coſt and Beauty? All is diſſipated, defaced, pluck'd to pieces to pay p. 31it, I mean for them that ſing with grace in their hearts to the Lord, Coloſ. 3.16. Firſt, Well-tuned Muſick was intermingled in the Liturgy of Prayers, foreign, ſays Baſil; Notions of Piety will ſink further into the Mind, through delightful warbling; and a Leſſon ſo pleaſantly deliver'd, lodgeth ſurer in the Memory. Therefore the Agathyrſians, in Plato's days, put their Laws into Songs, to prevent it in every Plebeian, that he might not forget them. Secondly, It muſt be very profitable to ſing ſome part of holy Service, Quia cantans diutius ſuper còdem moratur, ſays Aquinas, 2.2. Qu. 91. Art. 2. the Underſtanding dwells the longer upon all that it pronounceth, and knows that beſt, which it rehearſeth with leiſure and diſtinction. Nihil in tranſeurſu oportet à Dris petere. It is one of Numas's Laws in Plutarch, and none of the worſt of them; not to run over Prayers in haſte, as a Bowl tumbles down a Hill, but with pauſe, and ſober deliberation. Thirdly, all that love to have Church-work done with ſome of thoſe holy Carols, appeal to experience, that they feel them now with a full Tide into their Heart ſooner than plain reading. Ariſtotle in his 19 Probl. gives the Cauſe, why there is no Impreſſion from Odours upon the Paſſions of the Mind, and but little from Colours, becauſe the Objects of thoſe Senſes are conveyed into the Fancy without ſtirring, or agitation: but there is a great Conſent between the Muſick, and the Spirits, becauſe ſo much Motion concurs with the Harmony: how then ſhall the Affections be unſtirr'd, when God is praiſed by Aſaph, and the Quire? Will not the Heart be more paſſionate, when it applies it ſelf to God in ſuch tunable Solemnity, than by that which is utter'd in the vulgar Mode of Elocution? Fourthly, David requires it of the Saints, to make a chearful Noiſe to the God of Jacob. This is the uſe of Anthems, to make us merry, and joyful before the Lord. Can Flutes and Trumpets inſpire a Reſolution into the Breaſt of Souldiers? Or why do they carry them to Battel? Did Cornets, and other Wind-inſtruments animate the robuſtious Greeks, to ſtand out their Games with a Courage more than Manly? foreign, Ariſt. lib. 8. Polit. c. 5. It cannot be denied, ſays that Philoſopher, but ſuch Muſick comforted them in their Conflicts, as if it had been an Enthuſiaſm. Turn it into a Church-way among good Chriſtians, and will it not have alike Operation there? Will not a skilful Hymn made to God, enliven and penetrate as far to a Heavenly end, as other Minſtrilſie had its effect in civil Applications? But this Seraphical Devotion is ſhut out of doors, and more than this, (O Lord thou ſeeſt it) until he open the Way again, who hath the Key of David.

34. Some will not be brought to like this, and ſome of later growth cannot eaſily be brought to underſtand it; it being hard for them to miſs that, which they never knew. But in thoſe days, when God was ſo worſhipp'd, the Concourſe was great that came to the Biſhop's Chappel for Devotions. So he had more Gueſts at his Table of generous and noble Extraction, than any Prelate in a long Memory before; for the Muſick of his great Chamber, which did feed, and relieve the Ear, was ſought unto, more than the Cheer which was prepared for the Belly. A Biſhop, ſay the Scriptures, muſt be a Lover of Hoſpitality: and ſo ſaid Melito, the ancient Biſhop of Sardis, who wrote a Book, Entituled, For Epiſcopal Hoſpitality, Euſeb. lib. 4. c. 25. To which there was no need to exhort our Biſhop. Mr. IV. S. that gives him not a good word beſide in his Hiſtory; allows him to be laudable in this. Bugden is a Thorough-fare into the great Counties of Lincoln, and York; whoſe Nobles and Gentry, with their Retinues, call'd in at that Palace in their Paſſage, and found a ſumptuous Table, and a Cellar free, if not too open. The Houſe, as great as it was, was likely well ſill'd. The Maſter of it delighted not in Solitude: for he loved not to ſave Charges. Beſide ſuch Paſſengers, he ſeldom ſat to Meat without ſome of the Clergy, commonly a Coovy. The very Yeamanry of Faſhion of the adjacent Towns were welcome, not only to his Hall, but to his Board. And though the Reſort was ſuch, yet he liv'd in that Order and Method, that his more ſerious thoughts were ſeldom interrupted with Domeſtick Affairs. The Poor were ſharers in this Hoſpitality, more than any for their number, with whom he deſired to divide the Goods of the Earth, that he might divide with them the Joys of Heaven. Aequè pauperibus prodest, locupletibus aequè, Horat. He hath been heard to ſay, that he would ſpend his own, while he had it: for he thought his Rivals would not always let him enjoy it. As the Athenians making merry with their Story, when Xerxes led his Army againſt them, would talk in a Frolick, that the Medes ſhould not eat up this. Many thought p. 32a great Debt would grow upon him for his waſting. But he was too wiſe to need another to audit his Eſtate for him. The Spaniard hath a pretty Refrain, Mas ſave el loco en ſu caſa, que el guerdo in caſa axeno: A Fool knows more in his own Houſe, than a wiſe Man in anothers. But here was one whoſe Providence held up his Bounty. He run out far: but he knew where to ſtop; as he that takes a ſtrong Purge, repairs it with a Cordial. Circumſtances in ſome things are as much as Subſtance: every whit as much, nay more than the half of Hoſpitality. Some will have the Praiſe of the Entertainer to begin from the Chearfulneſs of the Countenance. Ante omnia v…ltus—Acceſſere boni, Lib. 8. Metamor. of Philemon and Baucis, wherein the Biſhop had as ſingular Grace: A foreign in his Perſon, a grave and a ſmiling Garb compounded together, to being Strangers into liking of their Welcome. The Honourable and the Mean had that ſhare of Courteſie which belong'd unto them. Well expreſt by Aemilius Probus, in the Character of Pom. Atticus, Hic Athenis ſic ſe gerebat, ut communis infimis, par principibus videretur. Chearfulneſs at the Threſhold muſt continue with pleaſantneſs to the parting, or elſe a Gueſt doth penance: Wherein the Biſhop won greatly upon all that he receiv'd. He demonſtrated that his Mind was the lighter, becauſe his Friends were about him: and his facetious Wit was true to him at thoſe Seaſons, becauſe his Heart was true to his Company. If neat Apophthegms, and ſallies of Ingenuity deſerv'd to be book'd, his would have made an elegant Cluſter. foreign, ſays Eunapius in his Proem: the Sports that drop from Vertue are obſervable.

35. Theſe are Conditions look'd for in every diſcreet Man. A great deal more is requir'd in the Hoſpitality of a Biſhop. Poſſidonius ſays of St. Auſtin, Anagnoſten admenſam adhibuit. So at this Table a Choriſter read a Chapter in the Engliſh Tranſlation at Dinner, and one of his Gentlemen another in the Latin Tranſlation at Supper. For there was none of them but was bred at leaſt to ſo much Learning. After that, Diſcourſe took up the time: which was the Biſhop's delight, and the Hearer's profit. It is the chief end of repaſt with Friends. Propter Sermonis de lectationem tempeſtivis convivits delector. Cicer. de Senect. Let dumb Beaſts hold their Heads in the Crib: But Man, that is a rational Creature, ſhould be a rational Feeder: Herein the Biſhop excell'd himſelf. For none could give better content in Diſcourſe to all that ſat with him at Meat. As Symmachus ſaid of the like, coming from a learned Man's Mouth, Lib. 2. Ep. 6. Nihil quod non meum vellem, nibil quod non admirarer audivi. The old Fathers ſaid the ſame things, or that which was like the ſame things in their Colloquies. He could make himſelf all things to all Men, and cloſe with all ſorts, according to their Argument, and Capacity. If a Barly-corn were fitter for ſome than a Pearl, he would ſcrape it out for them. Where it was vain to ſound the ſhallowneſs of ſome with a deep Line, he inſtructed them with Perſpicuity, after their own meaſure. But when he had the Society of them, that were of good Reading, and ſtrong Notions, he would propoſe, and hear, and reply, and canvaſs a Queſtion with that Reaſon, and Inſtances of Antiquity, yet with ſuch a Guſt of Hilarity, that he contented all with his Judgment, and endeared them to him with his Civility. Far more might be ſaid than this to his praiſe: but it is better to ſupply it with Admiration. And becauſe his Breaſts were full, and had need to be drawn: the choiceſt, and moſt able of both Univerſities came thick unto him; as Eraſmus in an Epiſtle to Sixtinus, p. 140. writes of ſome learned Men, that invited themſelves to a Meal with him, Ejuſmodi homines, qui Academiam poſſint facere, non modò convivium: So ſuch company was often about the Biſhop, as made Bugden look like an Academy, and the Cheer like a Commencement. None could reach himſelf out with more Humanity to pleaſe them all, unleſs any thought it troubleſome, as I think they did not, that he continued Diſcourſe till Midnight, or after. From Cambridge, that being ſo near, and he ſo hoſpital, he was daily viſited. But when Dr. Ward, and Dr. Brownrigg (now the Right Reverend Biſhop of Exon) came to do him Honour with their obſervance, it was an high Feaſt with him. Theſe were Saints of the red Letter in the Calendar of his Acquaintance. Occurrunt animae, quales neque candidiores—Terra tulit, Horat. This noble Pair were both moſt Godly, moſt Learned, moſt Humble; fit to make Friends with the moſt vertuous, and chiefly, (for ſo it was) between themſelves. The firſt was of a ſad Temper: the ſecond more chearful. The firſt ſlow, and profound: the ſecond quick, and acute. Dr. Ward in the Chair a rare Determiner: Dr. Brownrigg in the Schools an unparallel'd Diſputant, and in the Pulpit a moſt divine Preacher: As Tully ſaid of Craſſus and Scevola, In aliquibus diſſimiles erant inter ſe, ſtatuere tamen ut non poſſis, p. 33cujus te malles eſſe ſimiliorem. So theſe two in ſome things were Matches, in ſome things unlike, in all things excellent: and happy were he that could be like to either. He that received ſuch as theſe under his Roof, might be comforted, not that he received Angels unawares, but Chriſt himſelf in his Diſciples. This Matter might have broken off here, but that Mr. W. S. who likes the Gallantry of the Biſhop's Houſe-keeping, adds that which was very true, that Watches were ſet to note, and eſpy him. Warning was given by ſome, that were appointed to it. The Court is not always the cloſeſt Cabinet to keep Secrets: As Budaeus obſerves it, Lib. 3. de Aſſe. fol. 105. Aius ille Locutius arcanum nihil ſinit eſſe eorum, quae in Aulâ geruntur. But the Biſhop would take no knowledge, that ſuch a Snare was laid; eſteeming of it as Phyſicians do of Cancer Occultus, that it is more ſafe to let it alone, than to go about to cure it: nor was it eaſie for him to keep in his Freedom: Which yet many times had ſubtlety mixt with it; ſuch as Fulgentius ſays was in Padre Paulo, That he would ſeem open in his Talk, out of an admirable Dexterity to make others ſpeak freely. But more often cuſtom did make his Words run from him, without regard to thoſe that might be ſuſpected: As Camerarius writes of Melanchthon, Oratio ejus erat libera, etiam ſine circumſpectione, & conſideratione eorum, coram quibus illa haberetur. Where much Knowledge, and a ſweet Nature meet with intelligent Company, Diſcourſe will flow without an over-anxious advertency upon the Hearers. Yet Offence could never be grounded upon his Words, if a candid Interpretation judg'd them. Doubtleſs he that had loſt one Eye, would be more tender to keep the other. As for thoſe Spies, and State-rats that are ſet to run, and ſcent in every corner; Budaeus, a great Courtier as well as a Scholar, in his Work cited before, Fol. 188. Accounts them to be moſt ignoble Inſtruments, bred at firſt under the ragged Princes of Aſia. But he that did moſt employ them was Midas, King of Phrygia, which gave occaſion to the Fable, that he had Aſſes Ears. Quem narrant aſininas aures habuiſſe, quod multos otacouſtas, auricularios, & ſermonum captatores haberet. Thiſtles were fitter for ſuch Aſſes to feed on, than the ſumptuous proviſion of a moſt bountiful Lord.

36. Though the good Fare remembred was much ſeen, and much talk'd of, yet there were Iſſues of Liberality from the ſame Purſe no leſs, or more, to be approved. The Lordly Senators of Rome ſed the Bellies of their Clients, that came officiouſly to ſalute them; Fructus amicitiae magnae cibus, Juven. Sat. 5. And that was all the good they did. But as this Biſhop's Table was free and open, ſo was his Hand: Except Biſhop Andrews, who was ſublime in all Vertue, there was not ſo great a Giver of his Order, to the Supply of the Learned, and of Gentlemen of hard Fortune: whom he gratified with no ſmall Sums. Beſide ſome poor Scholars of eminent Hopes in both Univerſities, whom he cheriſh'd with ſufficient Penſions to maintain them modeſtly. A Servant of a worthy Family that look'd to his Disburſements, Mr. John Moſtyn, will avouch it, that in ſuch charitable Out-lets, he ſpent a Thouſand Pounds every Year at the leaſt, ſometime Twelve Hundred. Whatſoever Colours you lay upon the praiſe of a great Man, certainly ſuch Works are the beſt Mettal of his Coat. Titulis & faſcibus olim—Major habebatur donandi gloria, Juven. ut ſupra. And that's Truth in Ar. Will. Hiſtory p. 196. That this Biſhop was of a bountiful Mind to Men in want, being a great Patron to ſupport them, when there was Merit that wanted ſupply. The ſame Author hath inſtanced in one of the beſt, to whom he did miniſter out of his ſtore, the Man whoſe Renown will ever be freſh, Dr. Peter Moulin, the Elder; Who flying from the mortal Threatnings of his Enemies at the time of the Siege of Mount-Alban, and finding harbour in England, was not only furniſh'd for his preſent uſe by this compaſſionate Providor, but he ſent alſo for his Son Dr. Peter the younger out of France, ordain'd him a Deacon, to make him capable of his Patronage, inſtituted him into a Donative, one of the beſt in North Wales, and cauſed him to engage, that Proviſion ſhould be made out of it for his Mother-in-Law, as it were in the way of a Joynture, if the ſurvived his Father. A Benefit which the Father, that great Pillar of the Reformed Churches in France, neither ſought, nor expected. For he had never ſeen his face that conferr'd it: and came ſo welcome to diſcharge him from all further care of laying up for his Family, that among his other rate Gifts, he proved the moſt acknowledging, true-hearted, and conſtant Friend, that ever the Biſhop had to do with. From whom he was preſented every Month with all thoſe Rarities, which the Gallican Church, and State ſet forth. Neither were the Moulins, the Father and Son, the All, and the p. 34only ones among the Worthies of the Tranſmarine Churches, that were Debtors to his Courteſie. But, as our holy Fathers Grindal, Whitgift, and Abbot had done before him, many in the Univerſities of France, and the Netherlands, that were foreign, Men of Fame and Induſtry, were greeted from him with ample Tokens of Benevolence. For though the Government, and comely Order of our Church is far better contrived than theirs, through the good Hand of God upon us, yet he was not pufft up, like ſome, that think their Imperfections make them unworthy of Communion with us. Is there but one Tree of Knowledge in all the Paradice of the Church of God? Or muſt all be deſpiſed that are not reformed ad amuſſim? The good God pardon every one, that prepareth his heart to ſeek the Lord God of his Fathers, though he be not cleanſed according to the purification of the Sanctuary, 2 Chron. 30.19. Alas, yet many of theſe, or their Colleagues, ſince they were filled with good things from our Right Reverend Fathers, have turned againſt us, and have brought fuel to kindle the fire, which hath burnt up the houſes of God in our Land. Lord lay not this ſin to their charge. They have received good things from us: and we have received evil from them. The white ſtone is on our ſide: the blot is on theirs. But our Biſhop's End was good, the Coagmentation of the parts of the Building of God's Houſe, and to oblige the Maſter-builders; His Prudence, and Humanity went far to cloſe up Breaches, and to advance Unity. And as the Showers of the Clouds drop upon Thiſtles, as well as Wheat, ſo a frank Spirit will not be over-curious to examine, into whoſe hands it puts a little Duſt. Let it fall on the right-ſide, or on the left, let God look to that, who knows the Heart. This the Biſhop believed, and knew that what he receiv'd from the Church, was not given for the Intereſt of one Man to lay it up for himſelf. St. Ambroſe tells us ſo, Ep. 2. ad Valentini. Nihil eccleſia ſibi niſi fidem poſſidet: poſſeſſio eccleſiae ſumptus eſt egenorum.

37. Let me proceed a little further, and the Readers will wonder, out of what Mine the Biſhop digg'd the Wealth to expend ſo much. It was never obſerv'd by thoſe about him, that he gather'd much in his great Office. He was provident indeed, and let nothing run waſte: and honeſt Thriſt will help to ſave a few Spoonfuls, but not ſo much as to fill a Ciſtern. I can refer it no better, I am certain, than to the unknown Bleſſing of God, who multiplied his Subſtance the more, becauſe he gave it chearfully. For in the midſt of his Profuſeneſs he fell upon Works of great Munificence, which could not come into a narrow Mind, nor be finiſh'd by a narrow Fortune. foreign, ſays Plutarch out of Menander, Happy is he that hath a good Inheritance, and a good Will to uſe it. He look'd firſt upon the Palace at Lincoln, built for none but the ancient Biſhops of the See, that had Four and Thirty rich Mannors belonging to them, which were alienated in Dr. Holbech his time, though not by his fault, and were never recover'd: beſide a vaſt Juriſdiction of great Profit, derived into other Channels. This Palace, fit for the Pomp of thoſe great Potentates, was formidable to their poor Succeſſors, that could not keep it warm, with the Rents that remain'd. But it was come into the Poſſeſſion of one, that did not ſtick at ſuch Conſiderations. For although it did ſeem irreparable in the Dilapidations; and Workmen did ask ſo much, as the Neighbours of the Cloſe did think it would deter the Maſter of it, yet in three Years he brought it on, and up, to as much ſtrength and comlineſs, as when it was firſt inhabited. And becauſe he found a decay of Learning in thoſe remore Parts, for want of good Books, he deſign'd it among his good Deeds to provide a Remedy, another Store-houſe for Authors of all Arts and Sciences, like thoſe of Weſtminſter, and St. John's in Cambridge, foreign, as Athenaeus calls the Alexandrian Biblotheque, Lib. 1. c. 9. The Flasket, or coffer to put in the Jewels of the Muſes. Preſently he bought the Library, and caus'd it to be conveighed to Lincoln, belonging to Dr. Day, ſometimes Rector of St. Faith's in London, whom the Stationers, his Pariſhioners, had furniſh'd with a full Study, fitting for ſuch a Scholar, that knew how to uſe ſo great a Magazine. Timber was hewn out, and diſpos'd in the Yard, to make a capacious Room to hold theſe Books. Other Benefactors were ready to garniſh it with their Oblations. But unkind Troubles, that came thick upon the main Founder, ſtopp'd the advance of it ſo long, that the Timber came into the Hands of Souldiers, to make Fortifications; and the Books became a Prey to every Vultur that could catch them. A Work of better ſucceſs ſhall compleat this Paragraph. A great Wit, and one that made this Biſhop his Executor in his laſt Will, the Lord Bacon, ſays well in his Eſſay of Parents, That none have ſuch care of Poſterity, p. 35as they that have no Poſterity: Which appears in this Prelate; who added to the reſt of his famous Deeds, the repairing of one ſide of Lincoln Colledge in Oxford, eſpecially the Building of a moſt elegant Chappel, which it had not before. The Form of it was Coſtly, Reverend, and Church-wiſe. The ſacred Acts, and Myſteries of our Saviour, while he was on Earth, neatly colour'd in the Glaſs-windows. The Traverſe, and lining of the Walls was of Cedar-Wood. The Copes, the Plate, the Books, and all ſort of Furniture for the Holy Table, rich and ſuitable. All which he did with the greater Willingneſs, becauſe the Society flouriſh'd at that time with Men of rare, and extraordinary Learning. Theſe ſo many coſtly pieces of Charity and Magnificence, are not Opuſcula, but Opera, great Matters to be perform'd by one Man, in the compaſs of Seven Years: And it being, as I may ſay in the Words of Amos, Cap. 7.1. the latter growth of his Eſtate, after the King's Mowing. Such Works a Biſhop ſhould aim at, becauſe therefore God gave him his high degree, ſays St. Jerom, Lib. 1. Con. Jovin. In majore ordine conſlitutus, poſſit, ſi velit, occaſionem exercendarum habere virtutum. Let our Biſhops of old times have their due praiſe, they were great Benefactors to Churches, and Colleges. I ſay more, they did well, and left a Pattern to their younger Brethren, that roſe up in their places, to do well by their Copy: And as Symmachus ſays, p. 205. Autor est bonorum ſequentium qui reliquit exemplum. They are a kind of Co-founders with the good Men of after Ages, that gave them an Example to imitate their Fore fathers. But be it conſider'd, without diſparagement to their Piety, that their Wealth was great; they were at Coſt upon the Houſes of God, when their Wings were cover'd with Silver, and their Feathers were of Gold. But this Man had but a Scan…ling of their ample Fortunes. Others we know larded all over with the Fat of the Earth, who are not Competitors, with the Biſhop in this Glory. Such as by Profeſſion of the Law, or Traffick by Seas have gather'd up Gold like the Stones of the Streets, and leave it all to their own Houſe; Qui uſque ad centeſimum nepotem ſe animi obſtinatione propagant, as Budaeus tells them de Aſſ. p. 105. Who reckon that all they have is little enough, to bequeath to their Seeds ſeed, for an hundred Generations. And yet are no better than Perſian Eunuchs, full of Honour and Riches, and leave no Memory behind them. And if they give one Sheaf out of a full Barn, they have not the Heart to do it with their own Hand, and ſee it well employ'd with their own Eyes; but commend it by their Will to the Execution of their Survivors. Whereas one Sacrifice of Alms, done for God's ſake, offer'd up in our own Life, paid down in our own Perſon, and not by Proxy, is more acceptable, than five Legacies of poſthumous Liberality. But I will ſtop, and will ſay no more of the Biſhop's pious Benignity, than a Word out of Tertullian's Apology, Quantiſcunque ſumptibus conſtet, lucrum est, quicquid pietatis nomine fit. He ſhall receive more than he gave; for Godlineſs is great Gain.

38. It was free for him to do what he would with his own, to be or not be a great Benefactor, or a great Giver: but it was his Duty to be a good Governour. Put him then into that Scale, and weigh him, and begin from his own Family: Wherein very effectual and imprinting Paſſages are not wanting. A Biſhop ſhould be blameleſs, and of good Report. Good Reaſon then for a Batchelor to walk very ſtrictly, to ſhun the Defamation of his Chaſtity: Therefore this Man would ſuffer no Woman-kind to do any Service within his Gates. Tho' they are ſiner-handed than Men for Cleanlineſs, yet better to endure a little Duſt in the Rooms, than that a ſingle Man ſhould have their Company. This was his Order, more for his Follower's ſake, than for himſelf. Who was priviledged from his Childhood from ſuſpicion of Incontinency: and needed no Compurgation, but ſuch as Methodius had, ſays Baroni. Anno. 843. c. 3. Methodius de fornicatione accuſatus, prodidit ſeipſum eviratum eſſe. This will ſtop the Mouth of Slander, unleſs his Credit came before ſuch as had rather hear the worſt of Men, than the Truth. Fame is too hard for Innocency. If it get abroad, it will never ſtand ſtill, till Age have made it weary. For whoſe prevention the Heathen knew no other way, but to ſet up an Altar to it, that it might befriend them. So Aſchines in his Oration againſt Timarchus, foreign. Their Forefathers did thoſe divine Honours to ſame, as to the mighty Goddeſs, that carried all before her. Not inſiſting to a Word more in the Negative, what they were, whom a diſcreet Governour could well want in his Houſe: In the Affirmative it was taken up to be the School, or Academy of young Nobles. Such p. 36was the Fatherly reſpect that our ancient Prelates had, to the Sons of our greateſt Peers, that their Palaces were the Nurſeries of their Children: where they were bred to ſerve God, and the King; and to ſhun the Stains of Honour, Vice and Ignorance. The two, and only Male Branches of Charles Duke of Suffolk were brought up with Dr. Holbech, in this Manſion of Bugden, and died there both in one day of the Sweating-ſickneſs, greatly lamented, as it is engraven upon their Tomb in the Chancel of the Church adjoyning. So Pope Adrian the Sixth, ſays Onuphrius, carried the Sons of ſome great Princes of Germany to Rome, when he was elected to the Papacy, and kept them under his own Eyes, till the Italians, guilty of their own Filthineſs, made Paſquins of the Pope, who meant well alla Todeſea, and never dream'd of the odious Luſt of that Nation. Which good Cuſtom was revived among us by this honourable Perſon who lived in manner and order of the good Biſhops, as Mr. W. S. confeſſeth, and made an Academy of his Houſe, receiving into it many hopeful Branches of Honour, the Sons of Marquis Hartford, of the Earls of Pembroke, Salisbury, and Leiceſter, with many others of the Gentry, of the ſame tender Age, to bear them company, whereof ſome were of his own Blood and Country. Theſe had Preceptors, who accounted often to the Biſhop, how their Charges were ſeaſon'd with Piety, and proſper'd in Learning. To ſuch as grew ripe to be removed to the Univerſities, he read himſelf a brief Syſtem of Logick, and ſent them from him, beſide the Verbal Art of Grammar, tinctur'd with the Syllogiſms of Reaſon. His own Servants reſorted to the Exerciſes of this Education, as they were capable.

39. Chiefly his Care was Great and Godly, to ground them throughly in the Principles of Religion. Whom he committed not to a Chaplain, to overſee them in a point of that Conſequence, which concern'd the Life of their Souls, but proved them one by one himſelf, from the moſt honourable, to the meaneſt in the Kitchin and Stables, what Anſwers they could make to the Fundamental Queſtions of the Catechiſm. A moſt Chriſtian Exerciſe for young and old: but the ſweeteſt Milk that Youth can ſuck in. Sic lacte relicto —Virtutem gens tota bibit, as Sidonius hath it in his Panegyrick. Good things that are ſooneſt learnt, are longeſt remembred: As the Figure will continue, which the Seal imprints upon ſoft Wax. And it was thought of old, that the Catechiſt, waving this Offering of firſt Fruits before the Lord, did derive as much Benefit to himſelf, as to his Diſciples, foreign, that of Clemens is very elegant foreign. Lib. 1. If he be a ſound, and ſincere Man, he doth beſt learn the Doctrine of his own Queſtions, and is the beſt Hearer of his own Exhortations. The opportunity which this Biſhop did obſerve, conſtantly to inſtruct his Domeſticks in their Catechiſm was Lent. He that is a Lover of Antiquity, will the better love Piety. Look back Fifteen Hundred Years, which within one Century is at the top of the Primitive Church, and we find, that the beſt Practicers of Mortification, that liv'd in thoſe bleſſed Times, made a more ſolemn uſe of Lent, than of any part of the Year, for Auſterity of Temperance and Repentance, for Catechiſing and Preparation to keep the great Feaſt of Eaſter, with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity. Whom ſhould we imitate? or if you will, whom ſhould we emulate, rather than thoſe whom Baſil calls (and he was one of them) foreign, the live Images of holy Profeſſion? Which way do we walk, if we ſhun their Footſteps? Were not Men of the beſt times, beſt to ſet out the choiceſt times for Devotion, and remembrance of Chriſt's mighty Works? Suppoſe we did not appeal to thoſe Examples: yet our modern Turn-abouts cannot evince us, but that we feel we are beſt affected, when the great Myſteries of Chriſt are celebrated upon Anniverſary Feſtivals. He that will make no uſe of their Practice, that were famous above all, that liv'd in a moſt ſanctified Generation, is very proud. But he that will check Experience, and will not truſt to the Teſtimony, which millions of good Chriſtians will proteſt that they feel in the inward Senſe of their Hearts, is refractory: I muſt ſpeak roughly, is impudently contumacious. Whom I will encounter with the Words of Paraeus in 14 Cap. ad Roman. p. 372. Utile eſt praecipuas Dei patefactiones, & beneficia in eccleſiam collata, ſtato tempore publicè repetere, & populo inculcare,—Ut ſint notiſſima, & in perpetuâ memoriâ. Magis enim movent, & haerent in memorià juventutis & populi, quae ſolenniter, anniverſarie, ſimul, ab omnibus, & uno conſenſu fiunt, quàm quae alias ab aliis fiunt, & dicuntur. See more there. But ſee, and ſay what you will, Noveliſts had p. 37rather be talk'd of, that they began a Faſhion, and ſet a Copy for others, than to keep within the Imitation of moſt excellent Preſidents.

40. I have not done with the Governance of this Family. Which was the worſe thought of by ſome ſtrict Cenſurers, becauſe the Biſhop admitted in his publick Hall a Comedy once or twice to be preſented before him, exhibited by his own Servants for an Evening Recreation. Some, that liv'd in nothing but Pleaſure in the Court, objected, that ſuch Pleaſure did not befit him, that was under a Cloud. But he that had caſt all Hopes and Fears aſide, did anſwer, What have I done to live the worſe, for their ſakes, that do not love me? Others did condemn all Stage-plays, and him that did allow them. Theſe are ſmall Quarrels, that cannot blemiſh ſo much deſert. Atomi in ſole natantes non augent pondus bilancis, ſays one. No Scale is the heavier for Atoms that fly about it. Nor will I put his Worthineſs to a Compromiſe, for ſuch a triffle. Young Men muſt have their Delights: and old Men muſt countenance them. Pliny the younger wrote but that which was equal to his Father, Lib. 9. Ep. Demus alienis oblectationibus veniam, ut noſtris impetremus. There are divers ways of Solace, according to the taſte of Sanguine, or Phlegmatick Complexions: of fine, or obtuſe Wits. Allow others their acceptable Mirth; and then preſume to be allow'd your own. But it comes home to the Perſon, what Eraſmus ſent to Arch-Biſhop Warham, Lib. Ep. p. 386. Cur vitio detur Summatibus viris, ſi quando curis delaſſatum animum riſu reſiciant? He that will not permit the graveſt Senators to refreſh themſelves, and to laugh at Toys, deſerves to be laught at. No Man more wiſe, or more ſerious than Arch-Biſhop Bancroft, the Atlas of our Clergy in his time: and he that writes this hath ſeen an Enterlude, well preſented before him at Lambeth, by his own Gentlemen, when I was one of the youngeſt Spectators. But it was imputed to this Biſhop, what Matchiavel notes in Scipio Affricanus, That he knew better how to keep himſelf from Faults, than to correct the Faults of thoſe whom he commanded. Or, at the beſt, that the Biſhop was more vigilant to prevent diſorders in his Houſe, than to puniſh them. The Exception is material: for thoſe two things, Thou haſt loved Righteouſneſs, and hated Iniquity, Pſal. 45.7. are conjunctive, and not to be ſeparated. Yet conſider, his Retinue was great. The Sons of no mean Men were preferr'd to wait upon him, not for Wages, but to learn Faſhions, as the Stile runs: who did not look to be bridled in with ſuch attendance, and ſtrictneſs, as their Fellows. Suppoſe ſome Treſpaſs ſhould fall out among them; commonly the Maſter of the Houſe is the laſt that knows it. Dedecus ille domûs ſciet ultimus, Juven. ſat. 10. Yet this Pen ſhall not ſpare him: but will Vote with them, that think he did exceed in Oeconomical Clemency. As Camerarius would not excuſe Melanchthon for it, p. 37. Qui conniveret ad familiarium ſuorum nimiam aliquando licentiam. This Biſhop could not put off a charitable Propenſion, and Patience, to hope for their return at length, that had wandred. He could chide, and aloud, but he could not eaſily put away a Delinquent. The Gentleneſs of the Parable ſtuck cloſe to him, Theſe three Years have I come, and found no Fruit, but let the Tree ſtand one Year more, and it may prove better. He that proceeds impartially againſt Vice, is a righteous Phineas, Uni aequus virtuti, atque ejus amicis, Horat. Lib. 2. Ser. 1. And he that forgives much, is a meek Moſes. Mercy, as I may ſay, is the Parelius that ſhines out of the Light of Sanctity. A difference is to be made of the ſize of Sins. Such as Hophni and his Brother committed, are not be ſlubber'd over with their Father Heli's Daubing; Nay my Sons, I hear of your evil dealing, it is not a good report, 1 Sam. 2.24. Or as Pope Paul the Third carried himſelf to his ungracious Byſlips (an Incubus could not have begot worſe) who made no further Inquiſition after their horrid Facts, but to ſay, They learnt it not of him: This were to take part with Sinners againſt Heaven and Earth. But if the Offence be no worſe than Negligence, or Raſhneſs, it is not Mercy, but Juſtice to paſs it over. A ſmall Cut in the Finger will heal of it ſelf. If a Miſdemeanour were done, that had apparent Corruption in it, and with Recidivation, which made it far worſe, the Biſhop was very eager, and full of Minacy in his Reprehenſion. Yet a little Submiſſion, perhaps too little, would mitigate him. If the Offender did bluſh, which is the colour of Vertue; much more if he wept, which is the Syrup of Vertue, he was reſtor'd to his Place, and too ſoon to Favour. A dry Eye in a Delinquent he could not well brook: it is a ſign of a dead Heart. Therefore ſome ſay, that Witches neither upon Examination, or Torture, were ever ſeen to ſhed a Tear. The moſt that wrought upon him p. 38(his Diſcourſe diſcover'd it) was, that there is ſomewhat that is good in the worſt Men: and he look'd, and hoped that in time it would eat out the Rottenneſs of the bad part. As one ſhould ſay, take a Brand's end, not by that part which is burnt, but by that which hath not taken fire, and you may hold it ſafely. This, the Impunity of lewd Ones, is not held out to be excuſed, but to be avoided. He that us'd it, I am certain, got no good by it. foreign, ſays the Orator, ad Daemon. Employ no wicked Man in your Affairs; for ſome Judgment will retort upon you. Not to leave the Biſhop altogether at blame for his Remiſneſs, he caſhier'd one or two that were incorrigible in their Riot, and one for Treachery. I would as bad had not come in his room. It was Mr. N. T. a Muſician, and a Divine: one that could make better Muſick upon an Organ, than upon a Text. He had leave to uſe the whole Houſe, to go into the Biſhop's Bed-Chamber, or Study. Our Naturaliſts ſay a Lion ſuſpects no fraud. Unawares the Organiſt tranſcrib'd ſome Letters which he found, and ſent them to an Enemy, who compaſs'd this Biſhop about with ſuch Toils, Saltuſque indagine cingit, Virgil. The Romans thought it was poſſible by Incantation to draw the Tutelary Gods out of a City, which they beſieged, Plin. lib. 28. c. 2. So this Inchanter thought it feaſible, to draw Intelligence out of Cloſets, and Cabinets, by ſuch as wanted a Fortune: and that he could force open any thing with the Petard of Preferment. He miſs'd not his aim in this falſe Brother, upon whom he caus'd a Prebend to be conferr'd in the Church of Woſter. Wherein the Corruptor was worſe than the Corrupted: as Malice is worſe than Covetouſneſs. I will ſay for N. T. as Iſocrates doth for Euthynus in his Oration call'd foreign. Nec Euthynus Niciam laeſiſſet, ſi alium quempiam tantá fraudare pecuniâ potuiſſet. So this Muſician would not have abus'd ſo kind a Maſter, if he could have got a Prebend by an honeſter Courſe. The Coronis to this Matter is thus: Some bad ones in this Family were puniſh'd ſtrictly, all rebuk'd, not all amended. Curam exigeris, non curationem. The Biſhop was not wanting in Care, but the Cure was in the Power of God.

41. Government the more publick, and the further it extends, it gives the greater Luſtre: Whereof the Candle put upon the Hill that could not be hid, was his own Example, directing his Clergy to their Duty by his own often Preaching. Injunctions, Articles, Orders, Advertiſements, and the like. I have heard wiſe Men ſay, expire with the Prince's Life, that appointed them: ſaving that their Prudence and Equity do never expire. But Canons oblige till they be lawfully repeal'd. The firſt Canon among us, that I know, paſt by Convocation, and confirm'd by Royal Authority, is that of 1571. That all Biſhops ſhould diligently teach the Goſpel, not only in their Cathedral Churches, which they govern, but alſo in all the Churches of their Dioceſs, where they ſhall think it moſt needful. And principally they ſhall exhort their People, to the Reading, and Hearing of the Holy Scripture, &c. Which Canon this Biſhop did awake in his frequent Practice. He had good Gifts to preach withal, and good Gifts are given to proſit others. None of God's Talents muſt be hid in a Napkin, nor in a Rochet. And who doth hide them? Qui percepto dono ſub otio torporis abſcondit, ſays Gregory, Paſt. cu. Lib. 1. c. 9. Which Sin had been the greater in this great Divine, who was ſo apt to teach, ſo able by found Doctrine to exhort, and to convince Gainſayers. Who excell'd his Brethren in that Faculty, as much as he did tranſcend them in Dignity: It is not to ſet him forth at an Hyperbolical rate; but that this Teſtimony may be given him, that the beſt, that were famous in the Pulpit, might learn Method, and Perſpicuity from him. He had not his fellow in that Point of Art. And he ſpake as one that deliver'd the Oracles of God, 1 Pet. 4.11. His Notions were not vulgar, but found and weighty, ſmelling of Pains, and of Piety. Many a Sabbath-days Journey he took to the adjacent Towns, to let them ſee, and hear their Dioceſan: not omitting the Punctilio of the Canon, to ſtir them up to the Reading, and Hearing of Holy Scriptures, but taught it with much variety from Luk. 16. v. 31. If they hear not Moſes and the Prophets, neither will they be perſwaded though one roſe from the dead. The ſound of Aaron's bells were to be heard when he went into the holy place, and when he came out, that he died not, Exod. 28.35. Iram judicii exigit, ſi ſine ſonitu praedicationis incedit, ſays Gregory again, Lib. 2. c. 3. Be it that place be eminently meant of Chriſt our High Prieſt, who was heard of God in his Mediation, and of the People in his Inſtruction. Yet it belongs, by way of Pattern, to all them, whom Chriſt hath ſent, as his Father ſent him. Sweet is the Sound of their Golden Bells. Gold doth not give a ſhrill noiſe, like ſounding Braſs, or tinkling Cymbals: p. 39but it is rich, and precious. The Multitude, by ill cuſtom, look for Clamour, ſtrong Lungs, and weak Doctrine. But happy are thoſe Auditors, that can try which is a golden Bell, upon the Touch-ſtone of their Underſtanding; and run not giddy after them, whoſe words are hot in the Mouth, and cold in digeſtion. Thoſe Ages did afford the beſt Diſciples, that learnt their Principles from the graveſt Fathers. And the People did profit moſt, where the Biſhops preacht moſt. As St. Auſtin ſays, that ſo long as he ſtaid at Millain, every Sunday he heard the great Doctor, St. Ambroſe. Millain, or any other City; Bethany, or any Hamlet, would forſake others to hear them. It was ſo with us in England, to the brink of our great Change. High and low, of all ſorts and degrees came with their greateſt Attention to hear the Sermon of a Biſhop. Their very Habit, which ſet them forth with Comelineſs, did affect ſome: the Authority of their high Calling did move others: the Contemplation of their Learning and Wiſdom, which had advanc'd them, did work more: their painfulneſs in their Duty did pleaſe all. Upon which of theſe hinges the Delight of the People did turn, I diſpute not. It is enough that it was apparent, that the Meſſage of God was heard with moſt reverence, when it was deliver'd by one that look'd like an extraordinary Embaſſador. Above all, thoſe chief Paſtors were the beſt Trumpets to ſound a Retreat from Innovations. foreign; As I take it from Longinus, p. 10. New-fangledneſs makes us giddy at firſt, and in time mad: and none were ſo powerful as the good Prelates, to warn the People of them. Experience, and Age, and Knowledge did plead on their ſide, that they beſt knew the Tradition of the Fathers.

42. Nor could it but have ſped well, if it had been conſider'd, that conſtant, or at leaſt frequent Preaching, would have made our Biſhops been rightly underſtood, that their Judgments adhered to the Doctrine of the Church of England, as it is ſettled in oppoſition to Popery. Some of our Reverend Fathers, that ſtated our Controverſies moderately, and with no more than due diſtance (which is an infinite advantage to a Diſputant) were had in Jealouſie for almoſt Apoſtates, by thoſe that ſhot wider from the Mark, which both aimed to hit. A Jealou…ie which ſome Diligence in the Pulpit had prevented. For when did you hear of a Lecturer ſuſpected for it? But this is the Imperfection of mortal Affairs, that when one inconvenience is removed, another will riſe up in the room. For the good Office of Preaching, perform'd often by a Biſhop, was call'd Puritaniſm by ſome in thoſe times, that fomented ſuch a Faction, that made the Name of Puritan the very Inquiſition of England. Not uſing it, as formerly, to preſerve the good Order, and Diſcipline of the Church; but to caſt any Man out of Favour, that was ſo innocent, as not to be able to be charged with any thing elſe. Thruſt a worthy Man between the firſt and ſecond Cenſure, and how hard did we make it, by ſuch uncharitable Traducings, to live evenly in the indiviſible Point of Proteſtantiſm? This Biſhop being not indiligent to preach the Goſpel, for which St. Paul, and our own Canons had provided, was decipher'd to the King for an upholder of Non-conformitants. Neque ſapere Principi poteſt, quod his praeguſtatoribus non ante placitum ſit, & probatum, Bud. Pand. Lib. 2. c. 14. The King's Taſters had diſreliſh'd him to his Majeſty with that unſavory report, that he could not be believ'd, with proof ſufficient made againſt the prejudice. Which made no alteration in him, but that he would follow the Plough, to which he had put his Hand. Like the Reſolution of Alexander, Curt. Lib. 9. that would not be deterr'd with Rumors, from finiſhing his Expedition in Aſia, for ſays he, Fugiſſemus ex Aſiâ, ſi nos fabulae debellare potuiſſent—So ſtout Lincoln would give no ground to Scandals, taken, but miſtaken. No Diſcouragements could remove him from great Deſigns: from two eſpecially. The former, that he began, and purpos'd to go on, to write a Comment in Latia upon the whole Bible. Are there ſome that will not believe it? ſtay, and take the Proof, and it will be the better it was not believ'd: As St. Auſtin ſays, de Vit. Cler. Serm. 2. Beatus homo qui tam bonum opus fecit, ut non crederetur. Happy is the Man that did ſo good a Work, that the World would not imagine it. And wherefore ſhould it be thought that he would not go in hand with a Work of ſo great Learning, and Labour? Even for that reaſon, which Tully gives, Hoc uſu plerumque venit, ut in rebus diverſis eundem praecellere nolint homines. It is the Malignancy of Men, that will not conceive it poſſible for one Man to excel in many Endowments, becauſe themſelves fall ſhort of all. But for ſatisfaction not to be controul'd, he did not only diſcourſe p. 40ſometimes, that he would dedicate his Induſtry, and his Wealth to compile ſo excellent, and voluminous a Piece, but he left much of the Materials behind him. Much of the Wool was ready, yet not ſpun out, for the Garment intended, becauſe his Loom was broken. To ſpeak it out diſtinctly; Mr. Richard Gouland, Keeper of the Library of the College of Weſtminſter, (till Men of good Parts in all kinds, himſelf not the leaſt, were deprived) he hath in his Cuſtody the Bible in three Parts in a large Folio, with the Tranſlation of Jun. and Tremell. bound together, wherein are Notes upon all the Scriptures (except the Apocaclyps which is untouch'd) written with the Biſhop's own Hand: in which are drawn out of all kind of Authors, of the firſt, middle, and chiefly the latter Age, and out of all Languages, as the prime of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, with the modern of Italian, Spaniſh, and French, whatſoever is the Choice and Flower of their Commentations. All this I have ſeen, and turn'd over, and obſerv'd ſo much Judgment in the Extraction, ſo much Induſtry in the Maſs of it, that I admir'd one Man could compaſs ſo much: but more aſtoniſh'd, that he could find leiſure for any buſineſs, or time for any Study beſide. All is not barren Land that lies fallow. Nor all Scholars idle, that have not diſcover'd their precious Treaſures in Print. But the increaſe of this Knowledge increas'd his Sorrow, with the great Declenſion of his Health; As the Poet ſays, Attenuant juvenum vigilatae corpora noctes. Ovid.His Lamp burnt many Nights till Morning (the conſtant time of his Study) before he had gather'd in this rich Harveſt. Yet neither Colick, nor Catarrhs, nor the Stone, the ſharpeſt of Pains, could ſtay him from his main purpoſe. The Count Mirandulan in Politian writes of Marianus, a Divine whom he valued above all, Corpus habet invictum, infatigabile, ut non aliunde magis reparare vires, quàm de laboribus ipſis videatur. So the more feeble the Biſhop was, the more he toil'd; as if he thought to repair his Strength by Watching, and aſſiduity of Labour. Yet he knew, that to expound the whole Scripture learnedly, was above the Powers, and Parts of one Man. Therefore he reſerv'd both the filling, and finiſhing of it, to the aſſiſtance of Twelve, or more, of the ableſt Scholars in the Land, whom he had in his Eye, and Thoughts, and purpos'd the Recompence of a great Stipend. For he hath ſaid it to his Friends, that he would not ſtick at the Sum of Twelve, no, nor of Twenty thouſand Pounds to perfect that Maſter-piece of Divinity. But this young Feature, like an imperfect Embryo, was mortified in the Womb by Star-Chamber Vexations. A Letter from King Ataxerxes cauſed Ezra, and the Builders with him, to ceaſe from working. Yet ſo much of the Stuff, as was made ready with his own Pen in Three Volumes, if it be not depoſited in the Library at Weſtminſter, the Author will be wrong'd in his Fame, and Poſterity in the Profit. His invincible Mind was not ſatisfied with this Task alone. But as Pliny ſpake to Trajan; Paneg. p. 57. Inter refectiones exiſtimas mutationem laboris. So to paſs from one Study to another, was not a new Labour, but the Biſhop's Recreation. Therefore he laid out for the Works of his Predeceſſor, Robert Groſt head; made Scrutiny for them in all Libraries of England, and in France, where he had Credit, and his Friends could furniſh him. Biſhop Groſt head living in the Reign of Henry the Third, was a good Linguiſt, a famous Philoſopher, a Divinity reader, an aſſiduous Preacher, a painful Writer of Two Hundred Books, ſays, Bale, wherein the Ambition, and Covetouſneſs of the Church of Rome were his chief Subject. Theſe being in Manuſcript, and many obſcur'd in blind Corners, this Biſhop collected, digeſted them, had wrote Arguments upon divers parts of them, which others have read, as well as my ſelf: expected daily more and more of the ſame Author, that all that could be got, might be printed fairly together. And as Symmachus writes, Lib. 2. Ep. Quodam modo ſocietatem laudis affectat, qui aliena benè geſta primus enuntiat. He that is the firſt that publiſheth the worthy Acts of another Man, is a Sharer in his Praiſe. But by his Eclipſe Biſhop Groſt head's Works remain'd in darkneſs. The Succeſs was unfortunate, but he that ſet it on, had a publick Soul, and a ſtudious Head. There is not a better Pattern of a noble and induſtrious Spirit, or of worſe proof in the Up-ſhot. Fortunam ex aliis, ſays Aeneas in Virgil. Whoſe Fault was that?

p. 4143. Such, of whom, as a Biſhop, he had moſt right to ſay, they were his Work in the Lord, 1 Cor. 9.1. were they, upon whom he conferr'd Holy Orders by Impoſition of Hands. Thoſe bleſſed days did not laſt long, when the Apoſtles themſelves appointed ſome over the Houſhold of Chriſt, to give them their Portion of Meat in due ſeaſon. They could diſcern, by the Gifts of the Spirit, who were ſit for that high Calling. Such as Timothy, that was ſet apart, according to the propheſies that went before upon him, 1 Tim. 1.18. And Mich. Syncellus follow'd the Tradition, that Dionyſius was made Biſhop of Athens, foreign: Lookt into by the Eyes of St. Paul, who could ſee him through and through. After which tryal by Illumination, it was fit that the want of that Spirit ſhould be ſupplied by the teſtimony of many, and by as much heed, and diligence as could reaſonably be taken, by thoſe that laid their Hands upon them, that were vouchſafed to be Stewards of the manifold Graces of Chriſt. Wherein (I rejoyce in the truth) he that is before us was as ſtrict an examiner of Novices, as any of his Order. Some that were not admitted by him in his firſt Ordinations, becauſe they were found Light upon the Weight, ſaved him much work afterward. Divinity is a deep, and a copious Science; wherein he that fear'd he could not anſwer his expectation, would not venture upon his repulſe. For he was ſo conſtant, and regular, that they knew what to truſt to, before they came to him. Whether the 34th. Canon, Anno. 1604. ambiguouſly penn'd, will allow one to be made a Deacon, or Prieſt, that can yield an account of his Faith in Latin, according to the Articles of the Convocation 1562, though bred in no Univerſity, is diſputable. He that had not been bred in one of them; or in thoſe of Scotland, and Ireland, and a Graduate to boot, could not be accepted of him. His Anſwer was, It was not his Cuſtom. To which the Churches of Germany held cloſe, as Camerarius hath publiſht it, Vit. Melanch. p. 161. Teſtatur conſuetudo literarum publicarum, quas formatas vocant, & aliquae Synodi decreverunt, ne ſine progreſſu in Scholis, & Collegiis reciperentur ulli ſacerdotes. I think our Canon intended no others, except in caſe of Chanters, and Vicars Choral, miniſtring in Cathedral Churches, who yet had no Licenſe given them to preach. And certain it is beſt to admit none, but ſuch as have walk'd before the Learnedſt of the Kingdom in their Education. It is a Reſolution which will fall on its feet, and ſtand ſure. It pieces well with that of the Prophet, Hoſ. 4.6. Becauſe thou haſt rejected Knowledge, I will alſo reject thee, that thou ſhalt be no Prieſt unto me. It diſcountenanceth Mechanicks, and the loweſt of the People, that they intrude not to teach more than they had ever learnt. Barricadoes of empty Barrels, whoſe ſound is the louder, becauſe they have no Liquor. Let me beſtow a good Story upon them, who never read Arts, or Stories. Theſſalus, a meer Quack, told Galen, that he would teach Men in a Month or two to become good Phyſicians, that had not the Elements of Philoſophy. Oil-men, Butchers, ſome of the Gentle-craſt left their Trades to learn this compendious way of Theſſalus, to adminiſter Phyſick, Sed in perniciem generis humani, ſays Galen. The Empyricks got Money, but their Patients got their death. 'Tis far worſe when ſuch Theſſalians Practiſe upon the Soul, that never came out of the Schools of the Prophets: and amuſe poor People with Confidence, and Boldneſs. And great Boldneſs was never without great Abſurdity. Now every one that is a Candidate of Holy Orders, brings a Teſtimony with him to the Biſhop, for the Commendation of his honeſt Life: often Subſcrib'd formally, and with little Advice, and when Men are prevail'd upon in their Weakneſs, I mean when they are over entreated. Yet he that receives it can hear with no other Ears. Then why ſhould he be proteſted againſt, if other Names have broken with him? If ſome are ſo eaſie to paſs their Names under ſuch Letters of Commendation, as if a Libertine in Life were like to be transform'd, nay tranfigur'd, by that ſacred Calling, he is greatly out: allbeit thoſe words were pronounced, when Hands were impoſed, receive ye the Holy Ghoſt. Which is not ſpoken of the Grace, which makes Men gracious with God, but of the Office of Grace. Iſocrates in Areopag. Oration ſays, That a looſe Man, choſen to be a Judge in the Court of Mars-hill, incontinently became ſtrict and temperate. Which was a Flattery that Budaeus flouts at, Pr. pars Pandec. p. 283. Tanquam loci genio afflatus ex ingenio ſuo migraſſet. I would not believe but a Wolf would be a Wolf ſtill, if he were choſen a Shepherd, though all the Beaſts in the Wilderneſs ſhould Vote the contrary in his behalf. This is the blind ſide on which the Biſhop could not ſee ſo perfectly himſelf, whether he that came to be adopted into the Miniſtry, were unblamable in his Life. p. 42He might diſcover whether he were ſound, and orthodox, eſpecially not a Babe in Knowledge. Wherein he expected ſuch a Talent, that one that was a Miniſter, a Maſter of Arts, a Wit, a Reſident, preſented to a Cure of good value in Bedfordſhire, could not obtain Inſtitution of him, for his ſlenderneſs in Learning, till he had reſpited him for Three Months, to read an whole Syſteme of Divinity (the Scholar might name which he would) who, at the time expired, was appoſed by the Biſhop, and had accompaſſed ſuch Knowledge in a Quarter of a Year, that he gave ſatisfaction, and lik'd his Book ſo well, that from thenceforth he was taken for a Scholar. Here is the Collection of this Theme. The Ordinations of this Biſhop paſt thirty Years ago, are famous in the Diſcourſe of divers yet alive, who call to mind with what Judgment they were prepar'd, and examin'd: how the Biſhop preach'd himſelf ſometimes at that Solemnity: with what due Ceremony it was done: with what Grace and Gravity: with what bounty he feaſted them: with what civility he took the moſt into his acquaintance: That I may truly ſay of him as Dr. Saravia doth of Samuel, de Chriſtian. Obed. p. 11. Samuel, depoſito magiſtratu, prophaterum princeps, & rector erat, dum vix…. He had to be the great Magiſtrate, the Lord-Keeper, but he was like Samuel, when he had acquitted his Government, he liv'd in Eſtimation like the chief of the Prophets, and moſt belov'd of the Sons of the Prophets.

44. And if he would ordain none that were unlearned, what manner of Men were they like to be, whom he preſented to Dignities and Cures upon his own Collation? It is a mighty Truſt to be a Church-Patron, no leſs than to be a Feo…ee for Chriſt. Which this Biſhop executed with that Conſcience, that neither Friend, nor Favour, nor Conſanguinity ſway'd him: I eaſt of all Lucre; for he was ſo clear from Simony, and ſo well underſtood, that I think he was never tempted to it. Caſlus quem nemo rogavit. Commonly he found out ſuch to take his Patronage, as never ſought him. Such whoſe Worth was great, but Humility had obſcur'd them, Quantum eruditorum aut modeſtia ipſorum, aut quies operit, & ſubtrahit: As Pliny noted, Ep. Lib. 7. His, whom he made his, were ſuch as commended him that gave: for they were among the beſt that could receive. Such as deſerv'd to ſit at the Helm, yet ſome of them that ſurvive, in theſe days have ſcarce a Room in the Pump. Let no more be named but a Handful, whom the Biſhop gather'd out of one Society, Trinity Colledge in Cambridge, and gueſs at all by their proportion. Dr. Simſon, the Author of the great Chronology, Dr. Warr, Mr. G. Herbert, Dr. Meredith, Mr. H. Thorn…dick, Dr. Creic…on, Dr. Fearn, Mr. J. Duport, Mr. A. Scattergood, Mr. C. Williamſon. foreign. Here are Ten Neſtors in one Militia, according to Aga… 's Wiſh. Theſe, and far more that might be rank'd in the ſame File, were his Donees, ſuch as God might reap Glory by them. In the beginning of King Charles's Reign, an Oppoſition in Doctrine began to ſhew it ſelf among the Fathers of our Tribe, and others of great Learning, ſome approving, ſome diſproving the Concluſions of the Synod of Dort. Which had not exceeded to that Heart-burning, and open Emulation (as may be thought) if the diſaffected to the Synod had not ſtickled to prefer them only who were of the ſame Judgment with themſelves, and quite neglected others, who were ſeldom gratified by their means but with driblets. If a great Dignity fell void, Virro ſibi, & reliquis Virronibus illa jub…bit poma dari, Juven. ſat. 5. It had been better not to commit Affairs to the Sway of ſmall Moments, as they might ſeem, which inſenſibly breed great Mutations. Our great Prelates were great obſervers of Unity; Whitgift, Bancroft, Harſnet, Andrews, Barlow, Overal, who pleas'd all ſides indifferently, becauſe as touching Opinions about Predeſtination, Converting Grace, &c. they made no diſcrimination, which, or which Propugners ſhould be gratified in their Advancements. Whoſe Foot-ſteps our Biſhop followed; who thought it the beſt Divinity to offend neither; and the moſt Chriſtian Charity to indulge his Favours, and Preferments to both; as it was open to the World. He had read as much as moſt Men in thoſe Controverſies: he diſcern'd Reaſons Pro and Con to tilt one at another, and each to ſtagger the other to the Ground. He thought them worthy of Study, but not of Faction: worthy of craſhing in the Schools, but not in the Church, and State: in no wiſe to make as thick as a Wall of Partition between the Champions, as between Piramus and Thisbe. Give the Proteſtants their due, on both ſides they hold themſelves within the Channel of the Scriptures in their Problems: but the Dominicans and Jeſuits, toſſing the ſame Argument too and fro, p. 43have cut a Thouſand Ditches out of the great River, wherein there is more Mud by far, than clear Water. Such as Eraſmus Scoffs in an Epiſt. to one of the noble Family of the Greys, p. 250. Quid 'tu Epimenidem ſomniaſſe reris: quid aliud, quàm ſubtilitates quibus ſe jactitant ſophiſtae? Let Epimenides dream of them Fifty Years, and think of them as long when he was waking, he ſhould never find out the Abſtruſeneſs of that, which God would not ſuffer to be comprehended. Becauſe both Parts appeal to Melanchthon, let them imitate Melanchthon, of whom thus in Thuanus's Hiſt. Anno. 1568. Cui maximum tranquillitatis, & quietis ſtudium, ut niſi de neceſſariis minimè contendendum putaret. Many that think the Biſhop not the worſe Patron for this Neutrality, blame him that he gave Hoſpitality, ſhew'd equanimity, afforded kindneſs, and ſufferance to Puritans. That's ever the burden of the Satyr made againſt him, by them that think it a Sin, to ſpeak well of any Faction, but their own. For certain St. Paul might be follow'd in a good Senſe, who was made all things to all Men, that by all means he might ſave ſome, 1 Cor. 9.22. There is a way to comply with the weak, and with the ſtrong. Our Biſhop was very communicable, I have ſeen it, with diſſentient Brethren, that did not conform; whom he gain'd firſt with kindneſs, and then brought over with Argument. Antiſthenes was cavil'd at for uſing to viſit ſome Men that were not lik'd, he defended it thus, foreign, Laert. p. 368. I go like a Phyſician to the Sick, and catch not a Feaver of them. If the Favours be grudg'd that the Anti-diſciplinarians receiv'd, let it ſtick upon his good nature: for he could do no otherwiſe. If a …rk, or a Scyth… had tryed his Gentleneſs, he would not have been uncivilly received: As Carull… ſaid of old Men, whoſe Heads ſhake with the Palſie, Omnibus omnia annuunt—So a Suitor had moſtly ſome nod from the Biſhop, with which he went away pleas'd. But whatſoever he did for thoſe of that part, it was not much that came to their ſhare: for if a Veſſel be ſuſpected to leak, the Cooper will pour in Water, and not Wine, to make experience. Yet it was his Judgment, and he reveal'd it to the King, to allure ſome of the chief in Name, and Worth among the Non-conformitants, with ſome of the Dignities of the Church conferr'd upon them, that it might draw more than themſelves into a good Opinion of the Hierarchy. 'Tis wiſely noted by Iſocrates, in his Oration for Peace, foreign. All will wiſh that Polity to ſubſiſt, wherein themſelves are honour'd. And he that will conſider how circumſpect the Nicen Fathers were, to indulge Titles of Dignity to the Novatians, or Cathari, Can. 8. And how the African Fathers provided the like for the Donatiſts (except the Bedlam Circumcellios) Can. 68. Ut etiam ipſorum infirmitas leniùs excepta, intus ſanabilis fieret, ſays St. Auſtin, Epiſt. 162. will not diſlike ſuch Meekneſs and Wiſdom, to allow the Chair of Government, and ſome Pre-eminence to them, that have been ſtubborn, that we may obtain their Fellowſhip, and Labour, and addulce their Sourneſs. And after Examples caſt an Eye to a Simile, that no Man ever loſt by keeping a Coy-duck.

45. The Seam of a ſlight Objection is ſowed up; but will unrip again: becauſe the Biſhop is now to be brought into his Court of Juriſdiction. He that had the common Laws and Statutes at his Fingers end: he that was a great Canoniſt: a learned Civilian: a Maſter of Reaſon: a dextrous Wit at diſpatch: that knew the fair and foul Dealings of the Spiritual Courts, was as ſit a Man, as ever our Church had, to be Preſident of a Conſiſtory. In that Circle he was like Onias the High Prieſt, as a morning Star in the midſt of a Cloud, Ecclus. 50.6. For Clouds there were, and dark ones; as no place of Judicature is without them. The Biſhop loved the Profeſſion of the Civil Laws, as Valentine to Divinity: and pitied the Advocates, that were ſhut up to meddle with ſo few Cauſes, that they could neither ſhew their Learning, nor thrive by their Studies. Yet he did often tell them (all are not dead that heard him) that unleſs they proceeded in their Courts with Incorruption and Integrity: with Impartiality in Cauſes, and making choice of ſuch Quarrels to come before them, as vertuous Men thought fitteſt to be redreſt, a little would come to nothing. Himſelf would not let Church-wardens be cited, for the placing of the Holy Table: nor the People for not coming to the Rail, at the receiving of the Elements of the Lord's Supper. It is a good Proviſo which an Heathen gave Symm. Ep. p. 14. Si adjiciantur inſolita, forſan conſueta ceſſabunt. By thruſting in new Ordinances, old Obedience might be ſhaken. Nor indeed are they, or the like, among thoſe notorious things in the 109 Canon, for which Offenders ſhould not be admitted p. 44to the Communion, till they were reform'd. And ſuch Injunctions are ſo obſcurely, and deducted ſo far off out of our known and eſtabliſh'd Rules, that they were to be offer'd, and perſwaded, rather than commanded. Conſtraint, and Violence are not means to bring ſuch things to uniformity. More often by Sufferance, Obedience will break in between their Wiſhes. Likewiſe it was Vox populi, and therefore not to be contemn'd, that Officers Eccleſiaſtical did proſecute Preſentments, rather againſt Non-conformitancy of Miniſters and People, than for Debaucheries of an evil Life, mention'd in the 109 Canon. Wherein the Biſhop did not commend the Proceedings of his deputed Judges. Though it might be ſaid in favour of them, that Humane Laws are ſtricteſt againſt them that act contrary to publick Peace. Or that Crimes are puniſhable by Statutes, and are fitter for Tryal at a Quarter Seſſions. Some ſpied into another Reaſon, that Proctors and Regiſters wanted not thoſe Scandals themſelves, for which, in the Eye of the World, they were fit to be preſented. Yet when all is ſaid, it were more laudable in Courts Chriſtian, to be more ſevere againſt Evils which the Light of Nature had made Evils, than againſt Evils, which were made Evils by the Laws of Holy Church. Both were to be corrected: but rather Works of Commiſſion againſt known Light, than Treſpaſſes of Omiſſion for want of Light of Underſtanding. The hardeſt Task which the Biſhop had, was to perſwade his Officers to live by honeſt Gains: to moderate their Fees: to waſh their Hands from bribes, and filthy Lucre: the only way to live in clear Fame, that Men might ſpeak well of them, and of their Authority. Covetouſneſs is not a Branch, but a Root of Evil, ſays St. Paul: all that grows may be ſeen in a Plant, but not the Root. Whoſe Example is more fit to ſhew it than Tribonius, who digeſted the Code of the Civil Law? of whom Suidas ſays, foreign: He was moſt ſubtle to ſhadow and cover the Diſeaſe of Covetouſneſs. From thence proceed the Delays, that conſume the Subſtance of Appellant, and Defendant, and make them curſe ſuch expectative Proceedings. Whoſe Clamors incited the Biſhop to Paſſion ſometimes, and to call upon them inſtantly for diſpatch. For how long will an Horſe-leach ſuck, if it be not pull'd off? A little is taken to enter a Cauſe: but the Price increaſeth at every turn, when it is brought to Examination. Like German Toſs-pots, that drink ſmall Cups at firſt: and quaff down great Bowls when they are drunk. Similer ſays of the Cantons, where he liv'd, that the People lik'd Expedition in their Cauſes, as much as Juſtice. Quod ſi in judiciis noſtris error aliquis committitur,—in cauſis implicicis, & obſcuris; nequaquam tantum damni inde datur, quantum ex litium diuturna prorogatione accipitur, Reſ. …el. p. 140.

46. If a Curſe were of moment, as when a whole Pariſh were in a Broil about it, the biſhop appointed a Conſiſtory to rule it with his own Preſence, and Judgment. He truſted not his Chancellor and Commiſſaries upon old Experience, but, like a wiſe Governour, he look'd upon them with a new Probation in every great Cauſe, as if he had never known them. What greater Praiſe could Symmachus have given to Theodoſius in point of uſing his Counſellors than this? Solenne eſt ei ſingulos ut novos ſemper expendere, nec conſuetudini condonare judicium, Ep. p. 124. A Magiſtrate that will not reſearch his Deputies, but leaves them to their Work, with an indefinite Confidence in their Honeſties, doth as abſurdly, as Tanner the Jeſuite, ſpake abſurdly in the Colloquy at Reinſberg, That the Pope might err, unleſs he did uſe all due, and ordinary means, but without all doubt and queſtion he did ever uſe thoſe means. The Biſhop had a deeper inſight into Man: and never fail'd to be Rector Chori, in Cauſes that requir'd a more ſpecial Audience. Wherein he ſpared himſelf ſo little, and gave ſo much eaſe to the People, that he did often ride to the parts of his Dioceſs remoteſt from his ordinary home, as Leiceſter, Buckinghamſhire, Wellen in Hartfordſhire, &c. and kept his Courts, where all the Complainants were at hand to attend them. A way of great content, and much neglected. Yet the 125 Canon provides, That all Officials ſhould appoint meet places for the keeping of their Courts, as ſhould be expedient for entertainment of thoſe that made their appearance, and moſt indifferent for their Travail,—and that they may return homewards in as due ſeaſon as may be. But theſe Courts, which kept Peace among the Sons of the Church, and ſuper-intended over Delinquents are quite ex-authorized: taken in pieces as muſty Veſſels, wherein nothing kept ſweet, that was put into them. The Fault was in the Demoliſhers, that had no better Scent: they had Noſes and ſmelt not. For whereas the Grievance pretended was, that they p. 45had too much Power; the Truth is on the contrary, that they could not do their work as they ought, to ſatisfie the People, and to beat down Sin, becauſe they had too little. Take their higheſt, and in a manner their only cenſure, Excommunication (terrible in it ſelf) What doth a profane Perſon care for it? Proſecute them with Writs de Excommunicatis capiendis, and all the Griſt that came to their Mill would not pay the coſt of it. What a Coil hath been made, to ſet up Conſiſtories of Miniſters, and ruling Elders, that ſhould proceed againſt Scandals with rebukes, ſuſpenſion from the Sacrament, open penance, and laſtly, as they expound it, let him be unto thee as an Heathen, and a Publican? Make the Sinner liable to Impriſonment, to deſtraining, to a Forfeiture, to ſome loſs in his profit, and he will be ſure to feel it, and ſly from the occaſion. Confeſs the Truth: will not many look better to outward Honeſty, if you diſcipline them in their Purſe? Bucer fell upon this in an Epiſtle to Luther. Scrip. Anglic. p. 657. Excommunicationis loco egregiam in multis civitatibus diſciplinam, & poenas ſceleribus dignas ſancitas eſſe. And Eraſtus writes like a wiſe Man, that noted other ways, than Presbyterian Cenſures, to rectifie the common Diſorders of Chriſtians: as to ſtraiten them in Priviledges of Reputation, and Matters of Gain, which none ſhould communicate in, but the obedient. Simler ſays, Helv. Hiſt. p. 148. There was not a Miniſter admitted into the Conſiſtory of Scaphuſe; but the moſt Judicious of the Laity exercis'd that Authority; becauſe their Puniſhments did chiefly extend againſt the Body, or the Fortunes of the Peccant. What little good hath the Stool of Repentance wrought, among the fierce natur'd Scots? They have ſat ſo long upon it, that they know not how to bluſh at it. We ſhould be ſhame-fac'd: Nay, which is better, we ſhould be innocent: but we are neither. Plato ſays in his Protagoras, that, leſt Men ſhould fall into the Confuſion of all Sin, God had given them two Bleſſings to reſtrain them, foreign. Shame, and Juſtice. But ſince we have loſt Shame, Juſtice muſt take another courſe, and let us blood in that Vein, which may moſt probably cure us. Ploratur lacrymis amiſſa pecunia veris, Juven. Sat. 13. Set a Fine upon their Heads that deſerve it; and it will vex their Hearts. But no more of Juriſdiction diſſolv'd. Roſa hyeme non eſt roſa. It was yet to be remembred for his ſake, that was the Honour of it, whilſt it ſtood.

47. For it was murmur'd a good while, before the Authority of the Paſtoral Staff was broken, that the Tribunals of Biſhops ſtretch'd themſelves beyond their meaſure: that many were troubled for not obeying new Articles. In the Third Parliament of King, Charles, in a Petition of Grievances two Biſhops were nam'd for offering at Innovations: and others eſcap'd the Imputation by Luck. But all, that loved not Aſperity, took it well, that none of this bluſtering was heard of in the Dioceſs of Lincoln. Which was malign'd then, and obſerv'd lately to diſparage the Biſhop, by ſuch as feed on him, and his corrupt part like Worms now he is dead. It was never in his Thoughts to ſooth the Humour of the People, but to pleaſe them for their good. He had no word more common in his Mouth, That it was not ſit for a Subject, but only for a King to be popular. That was not the Reaſon why he gave no countenance to the new Wine, which other Prelates broach'd: or call it their Pregnancy to revive old things, which had long lain ſtill. But becauſe he ſaw, that Bancroſt, Abbot, Mathew, King, Bilſon, Andrews, Morton, Overal, Lake, Felton, Davenant, and many ſuch, gave great content, and receiv'd great content from their Colleges and Biſhopricks, which they govern'd reſpectively, by keeping them in that Obedience, wherein they found them. Says Auguſtus in Dion, Things that have continued well, foreign. That which is ſettled by Cuſtom, though it be not ſo good, it is fitter than that which would alter it into another mode: and to try experience upon the Body of a Church, which was crazy, was Mala foreign, a dangerous Endeavour. For the reſt of the Charge the Bill is confeſt, the Biſhop was a very ſlack Puniſher, uſing the Power which God had given him to edification, and not to deſtruction, 2 Cor. 13.10. God ſays his Covenant with Levi was to walk in Peace and Equity, and to turn many from iniquity, Mal. 2.6. And every High Prieſt muſt foreign, Hebr. 5.2. Be moderately affected toward the ignorant, and them that are out of the way. So did this worthy Perſon, who would chide aloud like Thunder againſt Malefactors, but without the Bolt of Cenſure, which tears the Tree, and rends the Stock in pieces. The Spirit of Humanity hath its angry Sallies and Emotions, and he was, to his diſpraiſe, in that very obnoxious to them. Huic uni forſan poterat ſuccumbere culpae, Aen. Lib. 4. But Heat, and a great Wit were never parted. And p. 46though Man have moſt reaſon of any living thing, yet Choler abounds in him, becauſe he hath moſt Fancy, and moſt Will. Water is a common Element to all Beaſts, none ſtrike fire, and uſe it, but Man: That's a Priviledge belonging to the nobleſt Creature. Herein the Biſhop's Anger was as pardonable, as anger could be, that it left no more impreſſion, againſt the Perſon that moved him, than if he had never been angry. As Budaeus ſays of Guido Rochfort, Chancellor of France, Lib. 3. de aſ. Fol. 105. Minimè omnium iracundorum malitioſam habuit iracundiam. Curſed be their Wrath which is cruel, Gen. 49.7. Curſed be the Anger that is malicious. For Anger is a Mote, Malice is a Beam in the Eye. They are the Plagues of Mankind, who, once heated with Diſpleaſure, will never cool, neither with the ſweet Air fann'd out of the Lord's Prayer, engaging them ſo deeply to forgive: nor with the Blood in his Sacrament; which quencheth not the Fire of a revengeful Mind, and yet is able to quench the Fire of Hell. What ſhall be given them but hot Coals of Juniper? Pſal. 120.4. Prunae juniperi per annum integrum ignem ſervant, modo cinere cooperiantur, ſays Pliny, Lib. 13. c. 22. Juniper Coals will keep Fire a Year, if they be cover'd with Aſhes. Therefore they that cover Wrath, and keep it warm with long and profound diſſembling, ſhall be rewarded with Fire, like Coals of Juniper, that never goes out. Clemens in foreign. 5. hath divinely reſolv'd one of the Riddles of Pythagoras, That when a Pot is taken off the Fire, no print of it muſt be ſeen in the Aſhes. So meaning, ſays Clemens, foreign: To let no print of Anger remain; to blot out the Characters of it, that Revenge may never read them. So the Biſhop's Anger would ſometimes break out too faſt: but Words were Wind, and Clemency blew away his Threatnings beyond the River of Oblivion. If one of the Extreams ſhould be laid to his charge, it muſt be that of too much Mercy. Which Camerarius could not deny to be in Melanchthon, p. 109. Facility, Remiſneſs in correction of Faults, a Spirit promiſcuouſly indifferent to gratifie deſerving, and undeſerving. But as St. Chryſoſ. ſays upon that of the High Prieſt, Hebr. 5. apt to paſs over the Ignorance, and Errors of others, Non ne ſatius eſt propter miſericordiam rationem reddere, quàm propter ſeveritatem? Is it not more comfortable to the Conſcience, to anſwer unto God for a dram too much of Mercy, than for a Stone weight too much of Rigour, and Severity? Yet I have heard it ſaid, and read it, If Diſcipline had been obſerv'd by all the Biſhops as ſtrictly, and without connivance to any, as it was by ſome, the Contumacy of that Faction had not got the Head, which oppreſt us all. The ſmart of the Wound may incline them to that Judgment: Yet others have conſider'd, that the Oppoſition of the diſorderly part was in an appearance ſo little, that their Contradiction was rather in their Heart, than in their Practice: ſuſpected for no faſt Friends to our Weal, and Ceremonies, but not declar'd for Enemies. Who ſhould underſtand them better than King Charles, in his laſt, and heavenly Letter to the Prince? The Presbyterian Faction was great neither in Church or State to Mens Judgments, ſays he. There was enough beheld in them to make our Rulers vigilant, but not violent. For nothing is worſe than to take too high a ſtrain, to trample upon that, which is not yet exalted. The Lord is angry at Prieſts that are too hard, and imperious, Ezek. 34.4. With force and cruelty have ye ruled them. And St. Hierom applied it to ſome rigid Overſeers of his own Age, by this Note upon it, Quod propriè ad ſupercilium Epiſcoporum pertinet. Charity ſuffereth long, and is kind, 1 Cor. 13.4. Suffering of thoſe that err is but a part of Duty: the diſaffected muſt be won with kindneſs. To ſuffer is praiſe-worthy before Men: to be kind alſo is praiſe-worthy before God. It is a Point that may be argued plauſibly on both ſides. Juſtice will ſay, Dum immoderatè cuſtoditur virtus humanitatis, ſolvuntur jura regiminis, Greg. Paſt. Cu. Lib. 2. c. 6. A Bit muſt be put into the Mouth of the Head-ſtrong. Superiors ſhall have leſs trouble with Schiſmaticks, if they hold a ſtrait hand over them. And he that ſheweth them too much Favour, teacheth Innocents to offend. Mildneſs will ſay, Woe to them that turn aſide the way of the Meek, Amos 2.7. They that are compell'd may ceaſe to be contumacious, and will begin to be Hypocrites. Terror may make them ſtoop, but gentleneſs will ſooner make them yield. Says Seneca, Iracundus Dominus quoſdam ad fugam cogit, quoſdam ad mortem. A cruel Lord makes them deſperate that are under him: but another ſhall gain their Perſons, if not their Conſciences, by the benefit of Facility. Certainly God directs the Magiſtrate that keeps the golden Mean. Qualem nequeo monſtare & ſentio tantùm, Juven. Sat. 7.

p. 4748. Epiſcopal vigilance hath the Object beſt before it in Viſitations. Which were chargeable indeed to the poor Parſons and Vicars, in Linwood's days, as appears in his Provincial, by ſuch a ſweeping Train as quarter'd upon them for Hoſpitality. But our Biſhops in their Triennials, taking but a ſlight and inconſiderable Procuration for Homage, eas'd them of the Burthen, and continued the Benefit. They came to viſit, and to water the Earth, Pſal. 65.9. not to dry up, but to moiſten the Furrows with the River of God: or as Symmachus tranſlates it, foreign, to bring all to Maturity, which was ſown by the Labours of their Brethren. The like unto it was very ancient. For ſuch were the foreign in the oldeſt Canons; as the Word is taken for Circumſpection, not for Circumvention: Such as were commiſſioned to perambulate the Countries, where Churches were gather'd together, to behold their Order and ſtedfaſtneſs of Faith, Coloſſ. 2.5. Upon that Head I will give account what Biſhop Williams did in particular Caſes, two, and no more: Then his Diſcharge in the general Meetings ſhall bound, and ſhut it up. The former was the Diſcovery of a Miſchief; and the killing of it in the Birth, in April, 1629. with which Jane Hawkins teemed, a Propheteſs (for ſhe would go for no leſs) in the Pariſh of St. Ives in Hunting donſhire: Who took her Bed for a Sickneſs, and was in perfect Health: and in that ſickneſs had her Extaſies, as it was bruited: and in thoſe Extaſies utter'd Verſes in Rythm, full of Detraction and Injury to the Authority of the Biſhops, to the Church-way of England in the Liturgy, and not ſparing ſome Occurrences of the Civil Government. This was a Cheat, like that of Mr. R. Hadocks in Oxford, in the beginning of King James's Reign Who was a learned Impoſtor, preaching Latin Sermons of a very elegant Stile in his ſleep, as the cunning Man would have it believ'd, as if thoſe Enthuſiaſms were vented by his Tongue, but he had no Senſe of them in his Mind. And this tended to make his Auditors conceive, that God cauſed him, like Balaam's dumb Beaſt, to teach another Diſcipline, than that which was eſtabliſh'd. But this Woman, though taught her Leſſon by ſome more knowing than her ſelf, utter'd ſuch Brainleſs Verſes, as might juſtifie the common Ballads of the City; and was as bad at an Engliſh Verſe, as the old Monks were at a Latin, ſtufft with ſuch frigid Jeſts, as were able to cool the Bath. Ut propriùs ſpectes lacrymoſa poemata Puppi, Horat. Ep. 1. Yet the more vile and plain, they lik'd the better with the rural Hobs: and would have ſpread into Fairs, and Markets, and been ſung by Fidlers Boys, if it had not been prevented. The Extaſie, or Inſpiration, believ'd by ſome, was the offence like to do harm. Which the Biſhop perceiving to be a deviſed Villany, diſguiſed himſelf in his Face, and Habit, and obtain'd to thruſt in, with two more, among the Crew, at ſuch a time, as they came to watch for Oracles from the Mouth of this Poetreſs. Blind Guides are fitteſt for them that would wander. When the Fit was upon her, one of her Intimates took her Vapourings, as they came from her, Et jungere carmina curat, Virgil. Aen. leſt they ſhould be loſt like thoſe of Virgil's Beldame. Which the Biſhop taking out of his Hand, found them alter'd for the better, and at that juncture reveal'd himſelf to their Amazement, and made it evident to them, that were preſent, that all their Feats were ſtark Juggling: that they took God's Name in vain, as if thoſe Notions came from God, which came from Fraud, and from Satan: falſe, in much bitter without Charity: bold and rude, not ſavouring of the Stile of God, nor of any wiſe Man, but Mr. Wiſe the Curate. And although their Conditions would excuſe all that could be done to them in Severity, yet the Biſhop required no more, but that Mr. Tooky the Vicar, upon pain of Suſpenſion ſhould read the Contents of a Paper ſent to him, the next Sunday, April 29. after the firſt Leſſon in the Pariſh Church; then his Suſpenſion to be ſtaid, otherwiſe to be declar'd. Which Contents are theſe: In thoſe Sayings uttered by Jane Hawkins of this Pariſh, either of late, or heretofore in her Sickneſs, which ſeemed for the Manner ſtrange and extraordinary, and expreſſed in Verſe or Rhyme, I do not conceive any Miracle at all: or for that manner in Verſe or Rhyme any Inſpiration of the Holy Ghoſt, added over and above the Gifts, and Parts of Nature: Nor would I have any Man or Woman of this Pariſh, to have a higher Opinion, or Conceit of any Saying ſo utter'd by the ſaid Jane Hawkins. And whereas my ſelf, Mr. Wiſe my Curate, and my Son have taken and excerpted many of theſe Sayings in Verſe from the Mouth of the ſaid Jane, in the Preſence of many Men, and Women in this Pariſh, and put the ſame in Writing, which is conceiv'd to be an Act that may prove ſcandalous to the Church, and State, I p. 48do promiſe not to do ſo again, and am truly ſorry that this Act of mine is any way liable to ſuch Conſtruction, and will be grieved at the Heart, if by occaſion of the ſame the leaſt Scandal, or Aſperſion may fall upon this flouriſhing Church or State, wherein I live: which I voluntarily profeſs in this open Aſſembly. This was read, and the Offence was paſt over with this gentleneſs. But the Vicar fell either into this Error again, or ſome other Contumacy. For in fine he was deprived, as I find it in the Biſhop's Papers. Their own tatling, and venting their Malice by a talkative Woman, brought all this ſhame upon them. They might have been as wiſe as the wild Geeſe that fly over the Mountain Taurus, who carry a Stone in their Bills, to keep them from gaggling, leſt the Eagle ſhould hear them, and ſeize upon them.

49. It is a ſlight occaſion, yet an occaſion to conſider in a little the Sibylls, and their Predictions from hence, becauſe I have ſtarted a Feminine Verſifier, and a Propheteſs (yea, what elſe?) among her Copes-mates. To come to a ſhort Tryal, I lay nothing forth of the Fatidical Books, which Tarquin bought of his reſolute Chap-woman. They were conſum'd to Aſhes in the Social War, and not a Fragment ſaved. Nor of thoſe Pieces which Tully quotes, Lib. 2. de Divin. and Virgil, Ecl. 4. the two great Maſters of the Roman Learning. It is not certain whither they be extant in the Remains that are publiſh'd, and to be ſeen at this day. I meddle with nothing which their Meſſengers collected in Aſia and Greece, to furniſh their Capitol with new Oracles. I look on no other than thoſe eight Books of Sibylline Propheſies, with the Fragments annexed, ſet out by Opſopaeus, and others, and ſtand firſt in the Third Volume of the Greek Bibliotheca Patrum. I look I ſay upon no more: and move no more than one Queſtion upon them. Whether all that is in them, nay whether any part of them, was penned by Propheteſſes living among the Gentiles, and living before the coming of Chriſt Jeſus in the Fleſh? What I reſolve in it I branch into ſeven Concluſions. Firſt, That ſome part of theſe Oracles, which we have in our Uſe and Poſſeſſion, were endited before the Incarnation of our Lord; and in ſome Verſes where Chriſt is foretold, that he ſhould come, and reign upon the Earth, together with the Diſſipation of Idolatry, and other Heatheniſh Rites. For albeit in thoſe Paſſages they had not Credit with ſome in Euſebius's time: and in St. Auſtin's time, the Propheſies of others, that were not Jews, concerning Chriſt, were thought to be forg'd by Chriſtians, Ci. Dei, Lib. 18. c. 47. Yet I cannot incline to that Diffidence for this reaſon. Euſebius ſays they were quoted by Clemens, known to Peter and Paul, either in an Epiſtle loſt, or loſt out of that Epiſtle which is now come to light: Likewiſe by Juſtin Martyr, bordering upon the Times of the Apoſtles. And they quoted them, as atteſting to the Honour of our Chriſtian Cauſe. Therefore ſomewhat of the Evangelical reliſh was in them, ante-nated, and in being before the Goſpels were written. Secondly, Antiquity hath voiced it, that Women were the Authors of them; which none hath contradicted: The Wits of that Sex have excell'd in Odes and Madrigals. In holy Hymns alſo. As Deborah and Barac are named, Jud. 5. but firſt Deborah, for chanting that Triumphal Song, which hath as much Art, and Dithyrambical Loftineſs in it, as is in any Syrick Poetry, Greek or Latin. And if we had more of Miriam's Song, Exod. 15.21. it would not come behind them. And God did open great Secrets by ſuch Inſtruments, as his Hand-maids; who ever did his wonders by weakeſt means: and provok'd the World to attend to ſuch Conveyance, as was ſtrange, and to which they were not wonted. Thirdly, They were Gentiles: the Jews never owned them; and it is already proved, that they lived before the Diſciples were call'd Chriſtians at Antioch. The very learned Biſhop Montague ſhould have look'd to it in his 3 Cap. of Acts and Monuments, how he diſputed, that they were all Gentiles; and caſts about that the firſt and chief lived in the Days of Abraham, It could not be Satan that provok'd them to utter ſuch …olywords: for then his Kingdom had been divided againſt It ſelf.to have received her Inſtructions from Sem, when as there was no diſtinction of Jew and Gentile. I would bring them nearer to the times of Grace, upon this thought; that as ſome note of the Jews, that after their return from Babylon, about Five Hundred Years before Chriſt's Nativity, they were in Limine Eccleſiae, as it were in the Porch of the Church, and ſaw into the Myſtery of Salvation, more clearly for the generality of the People, than before: yet no Prophet was among them: So the nearer the time drew, that the day ſpring from on high did viſit us, the more did Divinations abound among the Heathens, to prepare them for that Bleſſing: as it may be enlarged from the Magi of the Eaſt, that came to viſit our Saviour. Fourthly, I leave theſe Propheteſſes to God that p. 49knows the Heart, whether they had the Spirit of Belief, and of the Knowledge of that they utter'd; That is, whether they were impulled like Balaam, Saul, and Caiaphas to vent that which they could not keep in; or whether they were inſpired like Eſaias, and the Prophets of the Lord. There is no Hiſtory how ſhe, or more ſhees lived, or what end they made, which were the means, and none elſe, to decide it. Fifthly, Take the Sibylline Oracles in a lump, ſo as now they are deliver'd to us, and they have a great of deal of Addition, and Fraudulency in them: The Interlinings of a Chriſtian Pen are as manifeſt as the Sun at Noon-day. Quò apertiora ſunt, cò mihi ſuſpectiora, I conſent to Caſaubon, Num. 17. Exercit. Is this Prophetical, or the Paraphraſe of the Goſpel, that Chriſt ſhould be baptized in Jordan, and a Dove deſcend upon him? that he ſhould feed Five Thouſand with Five Loaves and Two Fiſhes, and Twelve Baskets of the Fragments ſhould remain? The very Words of St. John put into Hexameters. What Prophet in the O.T. did ever collate Types, and Antitypes together? Yet in theſe Poems ye may find that Moſes lifting up his Hands; when the People fought with Amaleck, did figure the Arms of Chriſt ſtretch'd out upon the Croſs. What a World of open, and direct Paſſages? Gabriel by name ſaluting the Bleſſed Virgin: the Star appearing: the Shepherds greeted by Angels, as they kept watch over their Flocks by Night. A very Breviate of ſome Chapters in the N.T. Nor could they be of any other Profeſſion than Chriſtian, that betray themſelves, that Nero would perſecute foreign, our part, which contends with the Heathen. But in the Fragments all is diſcover'd, foreign; We of the holy, and heavenly Off-ſpring of Chriſt. The learned Biſhop thinks to bear this down with a fieri Poteſt. God might make one, or more of theſe, ſpeak clearer than Moſes, or any Prophet. But, with favour, he hath not done his Work, that makes a Conjecture poſſible, but that makes it probable. Which the beſt Wit alive is not able to do in this caſe. Sixthly, The time when theſe additional Verſes were thruſt into the Sibylline writings, appears to me to be about the Year 170. For Lib. 5. Every one of the Caeſars is deſcrib'd by a Numeral Letter, the firſt of his Name, from Julius the Dictator to Adrian, whoſe Name is opened from the Adriatick Sea. Some ſmall Intimation of each, Antoninus follows. But then all that comes after, is ſhuffled up, nothing clear, nothing particular, not a glance made at a ſucceeding Emperor, I have heard good Antiquaries diſcourſe, that our Britiſh Prophecies aſcribed to Merlin, were the Fruit of ſome Writer in the Days of Henry the Second. Merlin the Fay, ſuppoſed to be a Wizard contemporary to King Arthur, lived Seven Hundred Years before. But this Pſeudo-Merlin handles many great Occurrences punctually, and explicitely to the days of Henry the Second. In all that follows are Tragelaphi, Satyrs and Griffins, Cocks and Bulls. The Fortune-teller caſts Figures; but names no Perſon in the Sequel. So theſe interloping Verſes diſcover themſelves to be the …e of ſome that crouded them in about the Reign of an Antoninus, where he had ſpent his Powder, and vented all that he had ſeen with the Fore-face of Janus: but Poſticâ caecus: he was no Prophet, and could not ſee behind him. Seventhly, Far be it from my thoughts, to have a Jealouſie of the Holy Fathers, that lived about that time, for dreſſing up the Sibylline Oracles with new Ornaments of their own patching. They were full of Faith, and never fear'd, that Chriſt's Kingdom did need a Lye to advance it. I have read of Stratagems military, and political: but Martyrs, and Saints would never give countenance to Stratagems Theological. But who looks moſt ſuſpiciouſly, of all that lived in that Age, to bear the blame of ſuch a Forgery? It is an hard thing to find a Father for a Baſtard. But, Reader, What think you of Montanus, and his Baggages about him, Maximilla, Priſca, Quintilla, call'd Cata-Phrygians from the place of their wont? Theſe put forth to be known, ſays Euſebius in his Chronicle, under M. Antoninus, Anno. 1…. That's well for the time. Though Hereticks, they were Chriſtians, and which is more, divulg'd for Propheteſſes: and which is more than that, famed for being great dablers in Verſe. They bemoan the Phrygians thrice in Sixteen Verſes, Lib. 3. foreign. The Phrygians will miſerably periſh. And further they have not reveal'd themſelves, that I find, in any thing that favour'd of Montanus his Paraclete, or the Cata-Phrygian Hereſie. I am only dubious therefore in this laſt Concluſion. Perhaps I have not the Door by the Ring. He that likes it not, let him bite a Bay-leaf, and make a better Divination. I am not peremptory, that I have found out ſuch Sibyls, as I look'd for in Phrygia. But I am ſure our prudent Biſhop diſcover'd that Sibyl, that he look'd for in St. Ives.

p. 5050. His ſecond and particular Viſitation made amends for the former, at Little Giding in the ſame County: where he found a Congregation of Saints, not walking after the Fleſh, but after the Spirit. Let this Hiſtory give Glory to God in their behalf: ſhewing in a Touch, o… what religious Grounds their Polity was ſounded: and how uncharitably ſuſpected, and how unhappily diſſolv'd. A Family of the Farrars, the Mother, with Sons and Daughters of both Sexes in the plural Number, other Branches of the Kindred, with Servants fit to be about them, were collected into a Houſe of their own at Giding aforeſaid, purpoſing, and covenanting between themſelves to live in as ſtrict a way, according to the Goſpel of Chriſt, as good Rules could chalk out, and humane Infirmity undergo. This pious Deſign was propoſed, and perſwaded to them by the eldeſt Son, in Holy Orders, bred in Clare Hall in Cambridge, an humble, diligent, devout Servant of God, learned in the Theory, more in the Practice of Divinity. Their Houſe, fit for their Contemplation, ſtood alone. All were ſingle Perſons in it, to the beſt I could learn. The Church was ſo near, that it was next to the Pale of their Yard: the eaſier for them that frequented it ſo often. The whole Village of Giding had been depopulated: or I am miſinform'd: the Houſe which contained them remaining for an whole Pariſh. The Tythes had been impropriated: but were reſtored back again by the Mother, to the uſe of the Rector then, her own Son; and to the ſucceeding Rectors, by a firm Deed, as Law could make, which in its time ſhall be declared. They kept much at home: their turns of Prayer, and Watching, which they obſerv'd, requir'd it. Yet Viſits, perhaps once a Month, they made abroad: but ſhunning ſuch Diverſions, as much as they could, which rob us of a great part of the Employment of our Life. Non horam tecum eſſe potes: non otia rectè—Ponere: as an Heathen complained, Horat. Serm. 7. Strangers that came to them were fairly receiv'd: all the Tribe was meek and courteous, and did let none depart, before they gave them an account of their Converſation, if they ask'd it. And withall offer'd to read to them, what was written in a Table hanging up in their Parlour, as followeth:

He that by report of our Endeavours, will remonſtrate that which is more perfect, and ſeek to make us better, is welcome as an Angel of God. He that by chearful participating, and approbation of that which is good, confirms us in the ſame, is welcome as a Chriſtian friend. He that any way goes about to divert, or diſturb us in that which is, as it ought to be among Chriſtians (though it be not uſual in the World) is a Burthen while he ſtays, and ſhall bear his Judgment whoſoever he be. He that faults us in abſence, for that which in preſence he made ſhew to approve, ſhall by a double guilt of Flattery and Slander, violate the Bands both of Friendſhip, and Chriſtianity.

Subſcribed, Mary Farrar, Widow, Mother of this Family, aged about Fourſcore Years: who bids adieu to all Hopes and Fears of this World, and only deſires to ſerve God.

Their Apparel had nothing in it of Faſhion, but that which was common: yet plain: and much of it for Linnen and Woollen ſpun at home; ſuch as modeſt Chriſtians thought to be the beſt Habit. Fateor vobis de pretiosâ veſte erubeſco, ſays St. Auſtin. Inter ſerm. de diver. They gave no Entertainment but to the Poor, whom they inſtructed firſt, and then relieved, not with Fragments, but with the beſt they had: and having ſufficiency did abound to every good work, 2 Cor. 11.8. Their buſineſs was, either they were at Prayer, or at work; nothing came between: the Devil had the leſs Power to tempt them, that he never found them idle. They had the more leiſure for work, becauſe they faſted ſo much: and their diet at their meals was ſoon dreſt; beſide, their daily temperance was ſuch, as they fat not long at them. It was not by fits, but by conſtancy, that they ſubdued their Bodies by Sobriety. Their Bread was courſe, their Drink ſmall, and of ill reliſh to the Taſte: that it was ſure they ſtrived for nothing, that a dainty Appetite might long for: As Alms and Faſting were frequent with them, ſo Prayers and Watching, with Reading and Singing Pſalms, were continually in their Practice. Note, The Word continually: For there was no Intermiſſion, day, nor night. Four times every day they offer'd up their Supplications to God, twice in the Words of the Common-Prayer in p. 51the Church: twice in their Family, with ſeveral Petitions for their own needs, and for ſuch as deſired, upon ſome ſpecial occaſions, to be remembred by them to God. At all times one, or more, by their Conſtitutions were drawn aſide to ſome private Holy Exerciſe. By night they kept watch in the Houſe of the Lord, and two by turns did ſupply the Office for the reſt, from whence they departed not till the Morning. Their Scope was to be ready like wiſe Virgins with Oil in their Lamps, when the Bridegroom came. This was the hardeſt part of their Diſcipline, that they kept Centinel at all Hours, and Seaſons to expect the ſecond coming of the Lord Jeſus. Arch-biſhop Spotſwood tells us of the like, Anno. 510. p. 11. That St. Mungo founded a Monaſtery in Wales, and took order that the Monks had day and night divided among them, one Company ſucceeding another: ſo that there were ſome always in the Church praying, and praiſing God. In which, and in all the reſt, What was there offenſive? Nay, What not to be admir'd? To leave it off, or to leſſen it for the Girds of laviſh Tongues, were like the Man in the Dutch Epigram, That would eat nothing but Spoon-meat, for fear of wearing out his Teeth. God be glorified for ſuch, whoſe Prayers were powerful and unceſſant to pierce the Heavens. The whole Land was the better for their Sanctity. They faſted, that Famine might not be inflicted upon our common Gluttony. They abridg'd themſelves of all Pleaſures, that Vengeance might not come down upon the Voluptuouſneſs of this riotous Age. They kept their Vigils all Night, that the Day of the Lord might not come upon us like a Thief unawares, that ſleep in ſecurity. The whole World was the better for their Contempt of the World. As Philoſtratus ſays of the Hilobii, Lib. 3. vit. Apollonii, foreign. They were in the World, not of the World. All their Practice was heavenly; a great deal of it had ſome Singularity, by the Cuſtom of our corrupt ways, who do not ſtrive to enter in at the ſtrait Gate, to come to Bleſſedneſs.

51. The Fame of the Diſpenſations of this worthy Family, the further it was heard abroad, the more it ſounded like Popery. Envy or Ignorance could gueſs no better at it, but that it was a Caſa Profeſſa, a Convent pack'd together of ſome Superſtitious Order beyond Seas, or a Nunnery, and that the Sufferance of it look'd towards a change in Religion. After the Sentence of Saluſt, Boni quàm mali ſuſ…ectiores ſunt: ſemperque aliena virtus formidoloſa eſt. A Crew of Bawds, and Gameſters might have ſet up a Standing with leſs prejudice than theſe Devotionaries. But God help us, if the beſt Proteſtants (for theſe may be called ſo) do look like Papiſts. Had they been hired with Gold, that ſo miſtook them, they could not have done more Credit, and Honour to our Adverſaries. Speak Sir Cenjur…r, we the true Children of the Church of England, were we not, without departing from our own Station, capable of Mortification? of vowing our ſelves to God? of renouncing the World? of Faſting? of Vigils? of Prayer limited to Canons, and Hours, as any that ſay, and do not, that call themſelves from St. Baſil, St. Bennet, or ſuch other Inſtitution? Not our Reformation, but our Slothfulneſs doth indiſpoſe us, that we let others run faſter than we, in Temperance, in Chaſtity, in Scleragogy, as it was call'd. The Dioceſan, and their Neighbour to this Family in a few Miles, was aſham'd at theſe Scandals, which he knew to be ſpiteful and temerarious. He knew the Occurrences of his Precinct; as Apelles was wont to fit behind the Pictures hung up in his Shop, to hear what Paſſengers that went to and fro did approve, or diſcommend. Theſe were known to the Biſhop by right Information, from the time that they ſealed a Charter among themſelves, as it were, to be conſtant and regular in their Spiritual Diſcipline. But their Heavenly mindedneſs was beſt diſcover'd to him, when two Sons of Mrs. Farrar, the Mother and Matron of the Houſhold, treated with the Biſhop, to endow the Church with the Tythes, which had been impropriated: this was in Sept. 1633. as appears by a Smack of that which fell from the Pen of the Donor, as followeth:

Right Reverend Father in God,

THE Expectation of Opportunities, having ſome Years whealed me off from the Performance of this Buſineſs, I now think it neceſſary to break through all Impediments, and humbly to preſent to your Lordſhip the Deſires, and the Intentions of my Heart. Beſeeching you on God's behalf, to take them into your Fatherly Conſideration, and to give a ſpeedy Accompliſhment to them, by the Direction of your Wiſdom, and the Aſſiſtance of your Authority.

p. 52The reſt is too much to be rehearſed, ſave a little of her Prayer to God in the end of the Papers.

BE graciouſly pleaſed, Lord, now to accept from thy Hand-maid the Reſtitution of that, which hath been unduely heretofore taken from thy Miniſters. And as an earneſt, and pledge of the total Reſignation of her ſelf, and hers to thy Service, vouchſafe to receive to the uſe of thy Church this ſmall Portion of that large Eſtate, which thou haſt beſtowed upon her, the unworthieſt of thy Servants. Lord redeem thy Right whereof thou hast been too long diſſeized by the World, both in the Poſſeſſions, and in the Perſon of thy Hand-maid. And let this outward Seizure of Earth be accompanied with an inward Surprizal of the Heart, and Spirit into thine own Hands: So that the Reſtorer, as well as that which is reſtored, may become, and be confirm'd thine Inheritance, &c.

The Biſhop pray'd to God that many ſuch Cuſtomers might come to him: ſo commended her free-will Offering to God, and confirm'd it. To make them ſome amends for their Liberality to the Church, he deviſed how to give them Reputation, againſt ad Detraction. Therefore in the Spring that came after, he gave them warning on what Sunday he would Preach in their Church: whither an extreme Preſs of People reſorted from all the Towns that heard of it. In his Sermon he inſiſted moſt, what it was to die unto the World: that the Righteous ſhould ſcarce be ſaved: that our right Eye, and our right Hand, and all our fleſhly Contentments muſt be cut off, that we may enter into Life. All tended to approve the dutiful, and ſevere Life of the Farrars, and of the Church that was in their Houſe. After Sermon the Biſhop took their Invitation to Dine with them. But they were ſo ſtrict to keep that day holy, that they left not a Servant at home to provide for the Table. Yet it was handſomely furniſh'd with that which was boil'd, and bak'd, that requir'd no Attendance, to ſtay any one from Church to look to it. By this viſit the Biſhop had the Means to ſee their way of ſerving God; to know the Soundneſs of Doctrine which they maintain'd, to read their Rules which they had drawn up for Faſts, and Vigils, and large Diſtributions of Alms: In which he bad them proceed in the Name of God, and gave them his Bleſſing at his departing. From thenceforth theſe faithful ones flouriſh'd in good opinion. For it is certain what Quintilian hath ſtated in Gratory, Lib. 5. Nulla ſunt firmiora, quàm quae ex dubiis facta ſunt corta. The more a Caſe was doubted, the clearer it is, when the Doubt is reſolv'd.

52. Yet nothing is ſo ſound, but in time it will run into Corruption. For I muſt not hold it in, that ſome Perſons in Little Giding had run into exceſs, and incurr'd offence, if the Biſhop had not broken the Snare, which they were preparing for their own feet. For after he had ſpoken well of the Family in the Pulpit, and privately to divers, ſome of them could not ſee when they were well, but aſpir'd to be Tranſcendants above their meaſure. For two Daughters of the Stock came to the Biſhop, and offer'd themſelves to be vailed Virgins, to take upon them the Vow of perpetual Chaſtity, with the Solemnity of the Epiſcopal Bleſſing, and Ratification. Whom he admoniſh'd very Fatherly, that they knew not what they went about. That they had no promiſe to confirm that Grace unto them; that this readineſs, which they had in the preſent, ſhould be in their will, without Repentance, to their Lifes end. Let the younger Women marry, was the beſt Advice, that they might not be led into Temptation And that they might not forget what he taught them, he drew up his Judgment in Three Sheets of Paper, and ſent it them home, that they might dreſs themſelves by that Glaſs, and learn not to think of Humane Nature, above that which it is, a Sea of Flowings, and Ebbings, and of all manner of Inconſtancy. The Direction of God was in this Council: For one of the Gentlewomen afterwards took a liking to a good Husband, and was well beſtowed. Nothing is more ſuiting to this Paſſage, than a Story out of Gregory the Great, concerning his Three Ants, Homil. 38. Uno omnes ardore, côdemque tempore Sacratae—In domo propriâ ſocialem vitam ducebant; and a little after he reports, that after this admiſſion into State of Virginity, one of them became a Wife. There are ſome ſays Chriſt, that have made themſelves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven's ſake, Mat. 19.12. with caution as they are able to receive it. foreign, as Euſebius hath it: Virginity with free, and voluntary Deſtination, and Continuation. A ſingle Life, and grant it with a State p. 53of Proſeſſion, is a noble Courſe to ſerve God in: but limited to that time, as it ſerves for a Help, and not turns to a Wound in the Conſcience. God will not be cheated with a Vow, to let one of his great Commandements be broken for it. St. Ambroſe, who knew the Heathen Cuſtoms of the Romans, writes to Valentinian. Veſtales habuerunt praeſcripta pudicu…e tempora. The Veſtals attended in their Maiden Service but to a preſcribed time. Baronius Appar. An. Par. 10. teſtifies for the Phariſees, out of Epiphanius, Phariſaei determinatum caſtitatus, aut continentiae tempus habebant. They devoted themſelves to Chaſtity, or Continency, not for ever, but to a determinate day. Grotius, in voto Pacis, tells me more than I knew before. Optimum mihi viderur inſtitutum patrum Oratorii, & quorundam caetuum virginalium, ut libertas ducendi maneat. Grant them but that liberty; or as the Council of Gangra calls it, Humanity from their Governors, and the Scandal ceaſeth. Sir Roger Twiſd…n, a noble Scholar, goes further in his Apology againſt the Imputation of Schiſm, p. 97. That the Kings of England reſerved to themſelves to diſpenſe with Nuns, that they might marry. They that yield to that Diſpenſation are on our ſide. As old as the Widow Anna was, who departed not from the Temple, but ſerved God with Faſtings and Prayers night and day, Luk. 2.37. She was no Votary, that appears. Non clarè indicat ſequeſirationem, ſays Biſhop Montague, Orig. Eccl. P. 2. pag. 163. But ſhe left the World: that is, ſhe uſed it, as if ſhe uſed it not. Here let the Danghters of Giding ſtay: and ſo they did. But nor they, nor the reſt ſtaid many Years after, in that Godly repoſe. Otia bona fruſtra diſſeruntur, ubi quieſcere non licet, ſays Grotius, Belg. Hiſt. p. 314. It was out of ſeaſon to confine themſelves to Holy reſt, when Civil Diſſentions began to flame, and there was no reſt in the Land. In thoſe days there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countries, 2 Chron. 15.5. Religion, and Loyalty were ſuch Eye-ſores, that all the Farrars fled away, and diſpers'd, and tock joyfully the ſpotling of their goods, Hebr. 10.34. All that they had reſtored to the Church, all that they had beſtowed upon ſacred Comelineſs, all that they had gather'd for their own Livelihood, and for Alms, was ſeized upon as a lawful Prey, taken from ſuperſtitious Perſons. Procrin habe, dixit. Quod ſi mihi provida mens eſt, Non habuiſſe voles, Metamor. Lib. 7. What will the Cruel, and the Covetous ſay, when God ſhall require it at their hands?

53. With theſe Buſineſſes at St. Ives, and at Little Giding; the Relation of two particular Viſitations is diſpatch'd. Others were of things nothing ſtrange, nor of ſuch moment and uſe. And for the Viſitations general to the whole Dioceſs, held according to triennial Spaces, a Collation, made by the Biſhop at one ſitting, ſhall ſupply enough for all the reſt. It was deliver'd at Bedford, in the end of the Year, 1634. Which is ſo wiſe, and weighty, ſo learned and pious, that the Maker himſelf could ſearce have mended it. No excuſe is offer'd that there is ſo much of it, becauſe it is ſo good. The City, which Aſcanius built in Latium, was call'd Alba longa, ſays Livy, Lib. 1. So this Speech is long, but ſo pure and white, that the beauty will plead for the Bigneſs: or rather Bigneſs, and Beauty will make two ſeveral Praiſes: So he begins. I muſt not tax the learned Preacher, as Alexander did his Father Philip, that his Father had conquer'd and engroſſed ſo much, that he had left him but little to do. But I do really and heartily thank him for it. And conceiving that part of our Duty, concerning the Preaching of God's Word, to be gravely and ſufficiently diſcharged by him, I muſt frame my Speech upon other Heads, which would hardly, without much forcing be bidden, or invited into one Text, and yet have been ſeldom omitted by Prelates of former times, when they have held their Viſitations. Not that I mean to trouble you with the Bead-roul of Particulars cognizable by Biſhops on ſuch an occaſion: for this is the Work of Chancellors and Commiſſaries, who are alſo wearied with theſe Recitations. But as the ancient Ariſtotelians were want to keep off their foreign, their Singularities from the Knowledge of the Underſtanding, and to leave them wholly to the Survey of the Senſes: So it is the Faſhion of modern Viſitors to digeſt their foreign, or Singularities into a Book of Articles, to be peruſed by the Eyes and Ears of ſuch, as may be concerned ſo to do, without drawing theſe particular Points to any further Diſcourſe, or ſettled Oration. What therefore I ſhall inſiſt upon, ſhall be ſome few Generals, which reflect either upon the Viſitation it ſelf (the Act we have in hand) or the Perſons viſited, and ſubjected to this Viſitation. And thoſe are either my Brethren of the Clergy, or my good Friends, and Neighbours of the Laity. When I have ſpoken ſomewhat to either of theſe p. 54in general, and recommended to the Clergy a particular I have in charge, I ſhall trouble you no longer, but go on to the buſineſs of the day.

54. The Viſitation of Biſhops is no Jonas gourd, no filia noct…s, ſtarted up in a Night of Popery: but a Tree ſet by the Apoſtles themſelves, and water'd from time to time by the Canons of general Councils, in the faireſt Springs of the Primitive Church. For ſo I find Proteſtants of no mean Eſteem, to wit, the Four Writers of the Centuries, to retrieve the Root hereof from Acts, cap. 14. And if you will obſerve the Place, there is ſcarce one particular preſcrib'd by the Canon Law, as eſſential to a Viſitation, but you ſhall find it put in Execution in that Chapter, you have them firſt foreign, v. 22. they that confirm'd the Souls of all the Diſciples, muſt among them confirm Children. Secondly, foreign, laying hands on Prieſts and Deacons, v. 23. Thirdly, foreign, v. 24. Peragrantes, ſaith Beza, a Word uſed for a Biſhop's Viſitation in the Council of Chalons, under Charles the Great. Fourthly, foreign, v. 25. making their Sermons, or Collations. And Laſtly, foreign, returning back to Antioch from whence they came, v. 26. Nor are we now forced to ſuch a leap, as Dr. Mocket out of Gratian would put upon us, for the Viſitations of Biſhops: To wit, from theſe Acts of the Apoſtles, to the Synodus Tarraconenſis, or the fourth Council of Toledo, which is a foreign, a huge wide Gulf of more than Five Hundred Years, but are able to trace them all along in that interim of time, in moſt Authentical Authors, and Hiſtories. For, to ſay nothing of thoſe Books of Clemons Romanus, call'd by the Ancients foreign, the Circuits of St. Peter, becauſe they were abuſed by old Hereticks, as Epiphanius, and Athanaſius often tell us, that is moſt certain, that many Years after the Epocha of the Acts of the Apoſtles St. Peter foreign (where you have the Word of art uſed to this day) did often viſit Pontus and Bithynia, ſays Epiphan. in his 27 Hereſie, which is that of the Carpocratians. And about the Year One hundred, after the Death of the Emperor Domitian, Euſebius reports out of Clemens Romanus, foreign, a Tale and no Tale, but an unqueſtion'd Hiſtory, that St. John leaving Pathmos, went up and down Aſia, foreign, ſetting Churches in order, Lib. 3. Hiſt. c. 23. From hence indeed I muſt tranſport you to the 57 Canon of the 3 Counc. of Carthage, that you may hear Aurelius, and his Brethren excuſe themſelves, for not viſiting Mauritania, and thoſe other Provinces. But you muſt not dwell upon this Council, being by the Canon it ſelf turn'd back again for four, or five Years, to that famous Council of Hippo, which opened to St. Auſtin, as yet a Prieſt, Famae januam, the firſt Gate, and Entrance, as it were, to his Fame, and Glory. For in this great Council at Hippo, ſaith that other Council of Carthage, it had been expreſly determin'd, foreign, that every Province, or Dioceſs ſhould be viſited, in the very time of holding the Synod. Which Words are to be well obſerv'd: For the Canon doth not ſay, they were to be viſited at the Synod, or the Synod ſitting. For the Law doth not admit of that. Quia multùm operatur perſona—The Perſon of the Prelate bears a ſpecial part in this kind of Viſitation. But a general Synod was firſt call'd, and therein the manner of the Reformation was ſettled, and agreed upon. Preſently after that the Fathers did foreign, ſever themſelves (as Zonaras writes upon that Canon) and fall in hand with their peculiar Viſitations. And here I have brought you, without all queſtion, to the Fountain and Well head of our Canon Law, which requires according to this Reviſement of the Council of Hippo, that a Synod of the Dioceſs, or Province be firſt called before they begin the Epiſcopal Viſitation. And however the Synods themſelves be much out of uſe (in this Kingdom eſpecially, where none can be held, but by leave of the Prince) yet may you ſtill find upon your Accompts ſome few Splinters, and Remainders of the ſame, when you do not pay your Procurations only, but your Cathedraticals, and Synodals alſo. From this Third Council of Carthage, the righting of theſe Viſitation, was taken up by the Synodus Tarraconenſis, by the Council of Bracara, by the Fourth Council of Toledo, and divers others in their Ages. From theſe Councils they were fetch'd by Gratian into his Decrees: from the Decrees by the Popes into their Epiſtles, and Decretals; and ſo continue to this day our Jus Commune, our ordinary Law in that behalf. Nor were theſe Viſitations of Biſhops ſooner enjoyn'd by the ſeveral Popes in their Laws, and Decretals, but as things of ſovereign, and principal uſe, they were taken up, and incorporated into the Municipal Laws, of all our chief and beſt order'd Monarchies. Hence we find them commanded the Prelates of Spain in p. 55the firſt Partida of King of Alfonſo's Laws, Title 22. Hence likewiſe enjoyn'd the Biſhops of France, by Charles the Ninth, Henry the Third, and Fourth, in thoſe general Eſtates of Orleance, Bloiſe, and Paris. Hence alſo Viſitations were to have been erected here in England, by our Statute Laws, if thoſe Thirty two Perſons had ever met, as appears by thoſe preparations made by Arch-biſhop Cranmer, and others, Titulo de Viſitationibus. Laſtly, Upon the beginning of the Reformation in Saxony, they kept a Viſitation by the Super-intendents, An. 1527. much approved of by the Lutherans of thoſe times Oſiander, and Bucholzerus. And therefore we may not conceive of theſe Viſitations, as of ſome imperfect and equivocal Creatures, begotten but the other day ex fimo & limo, out of the Dregs and Corruptions of the Church of Rome: but as of things of a more noble, and ancient Deſcent, begun by Paul and Barnabas when they were Apoſtles, continued by St. Peter and St. John as great Biſhops: ſettled and righted in the Council at Hippo, Anno. 393. From thence tranſcrib'd into the Third Council of Carthage, Anno. 397. From thence revived at Tarraco under Hormiſda, An. 517 From thence received into the Council of Braccara, Anno. 602. From thence into the Fourth of Toledo, Anno. 633. From thoſe Councils they were taken in by Gratian into his Decrees. So into the Decretals: and from the Decretals, and their Gloſſes, infuſed into the municipal, or common Laws of all the chiefeſt Chriſtian Monarchies. So much of a Viſitation in general.

55. In the ſecond place I am to make a ſhort Exhortation unto you, my Brethren of the Clergy. The Effect whereof ſhall be no more than what St. Hierom wrote long ago in his Epiſtle to Nepotian, Qui ſervit eccleſiae, interpretetur primò nomen ſuum. We that are received into any Place of Office in God's Church, muſt before all other Leſſons, be ſure to underſtand aright the Titles of thoſe Offices, whereunto we are received. And that being once apprehended, Niti eſſe quod dicimur: To endeavour with all might and main to be no other than we are ſaid to be. We Biſhops are ſaid to be Viſitatores, the Temporary Viſitors: You, the Incumbents of Churches, to be Viſores, the perpetual Seers of Chriſt's Flock. Our Viſitation is a frequentative Word. Frequentatio autem non eſt unius actus continuatio, ſed actus interciſi multiplicata repetitio, ſaith Groſthead, (once a famous Biſhop of this See) in one of his Epiſtles. Frequentation doth not import any whole frame, or thread as it were of a continued Act, but the Repetition, and often taking up of a broken, and interrupted Act. And therefore in this ſpiritual Flock of Chriſt, being in their nature individua vaga, Cattle of a ſcattering, and wandring Condition, there muſt be ſome to have an eye upon them continually, ſome to attend from day to day, beſide thoſe Over-lookers from year to year: Or where the Sheep are many, and the Paſtures of a large extent, from three years to three years, there muſt be Viſitores, ſaith Groſthead, as well as Viſitatores; continual Seers, as well as triennial Overſeers. And theſe are you, my Brethren of the Clergy, as by your Inſtitutions, Inductions, and Licenſes may appear. Remember therefore in the Fear of God, the Titles of your Offices, that you are thoſe Videntes in Iſraele, thoſe continual, and immediate Seers of Iſrael. You are thoſe that are to ſee to the praying, to ſee to the Hearing, to ſee to the reverend and awful Receiving, to ſee to the Manners and Living, to ſee to the Peace, and good Agreeing, and, if you would ſee the Comfort of any thing you ſet, to ſee throughly to the catechiſing of your People.

56. Primùm omnium fieri orationes, ſaith St. Paul, Above all other Duties of a Chriſtian Man, bring your People as much as you can, to delight in praying. When all is well, and throughly weighed, you ſhall find it the only Duty, whereby a Chriſtian doth moſt reſemble an Angel on Earth, and moſt aſcertain himſelf of being hereafter a Saint in Heav'n. Say what you can (and you cannot over-reach or ſay too much) in the Commendations of Faith; yet muſt you confeſs it is the Gift of the Holy Ghoſt. And behold Chriſt tells you plainly the Holy Ghoſt it ſelf is the Gift of Devotion, and Praying. And when we have read, and ſtudied, and heard never ſo much, yet tantum ſcimus, quantum oramus (as Luther was wont to ſay) we may have more Notions, and Ginglings in the Head: but we have no more, true feeling, and pricking Divinity at the Heart, than we have Inclination to Devotion, and Prayer. And of all Prayers none ſo fit for Devotion, as the Prayers of the Liturgy, underſtood by all, and known of all, and therefore putting the poor People to no ſtraining of the Underſtanding, but to an intuitive Diſcourſe, as it were of their Wills and Affections to Almighty God. Whereas the long and tedious Prayer of a Preacher (eſpecially p. 56where it is crude and extemporary) ſets the Mind of a Country-man on hunting ſo faſt after the unconth Words, which are the Body, that it loſeth all the Mellowneſs, as it were the Ardency, and Devotion, which is the Spirit and Soul of true Prayer. And the Laws do call upon us, to call upon you, to cauſe your Pariſhioners to conn by heart theſe Prayers of the Liturgy, eſpecially the Confeſſion, and Collects. That when they are aſſembled in the Church militant, a Type and Repreſentation of the Church Triumphant, they may not be muſing, and ſtudying (for you do not read that the Saints and Angels do ſo in Heaven) but ſympathizing, and uniting their beſt Affections, with the Devotion of their Miniſter. Secondly, You that are daily Seers of Chriſt's Flock muſt ſee to their Paſture, that is their Hearing. For it is a fond and novel Conceit, to cry up Praying, and with the ſame breath to cry down Preaching. That moſt excellent Form of Prayer, How was it taught but in an excellent Sermon? Lord teach us to pray: teaching is a neceſſary Fore-runner of Praying. It is a kind of new Monſter, not heard of in former times, that Preachers ſhould preach againſt Preaching. And yet I muſt correct this Aſſertion. I confeſs it was heard of long ago in the middle Ages, in the time of ignorant and ſtupid Popery. Jo. Gerſon preaching a Viſitation Sermon before the Arch-biſhop of Rhemes, in the Year, 1408. ſaith, that the Clergy of his times bent all their Studies to enable themſelves for Ruling, and Governing, leaving the Mendicants, and the Curates only to ſupply their Preaching. But, as I told you before, this was in the time of the groſs and dull, not of the refined, and quinteſſential Popery. The Dominicans of Spain, the Minors of Italy, the Oratorions of France, and the Jeſuites over all the World are more than ſufficient Preachers: So that this is no Age for us to preach againſt Preaching. I will conclude this Point with a Saying, not out of Calvin, or Beza, who may be thought partial, but out of a Proſne or Homily, made on purpoſe to be read before the Clergy and Laity in all Viſitations, as I find it in a Book of this Subject written by one Jo. Franciſcus Pavinus two hundred Years ago. Saith he, Fides ſine operibus vana, ſine verbis nulla. Faith without doing will prove little: but without Preaching it will prove nothing at all. Thirdly, You that are the Seers of God's People muſt ſee to their due, and awful receiving of the high Myſteries. foreign, as Damaſcen calls them, thoſe pure and hallowed things of God. Eſpecially that foreign, that foreign, as St. Chryſoſt. terms it, that Super-coeleſtial Food in the Lord's Supper, which a Chriſtian ought not once to think of, without a ſacred kind of Horror, and Reverence. Here is an Action, I confeſs, wherein you can hardly exceed, either by expreſſing in your ſelves, or by exacting from others, any Circumſtance of Awe and Reverence. I know it is ſafeſt for a Child of the Church, to hold him ſtill to the Canons of the Church. But if in any one thing, ſurely in this, the Canons are rather to be out-bidden, and exceeded, than any way neglected or abated. The Fear, or rather the Experience, of the Peoples falling from extremity to extremity in this caſe, from an extremity of Superſtition (which the ſix Articles had bred in the Hearts, or at leaſtwiſe in the outward Geſtures of Men) to an extremity of Profanation, did much trouble the Magiſtrates in the beginning of the Reformation: You may ſee it clearly in the Letters of the Lord Protector, and the reſt of the Council, which are printed in the Book of Martyrs: In the Injunctions of King Edward: in the Injunctions of Queen Elizabeth: And eſpecially in that Act of Parliament ſtill in force, which enables the King from time to time, to add what Ceremonies, and Decencies he ſhall hold ſitting, for the awful and reverend, as well adminiſtring, as receiving of this heavenly Sacrament. And be not afraid to be accounted herein too too diligent and ceremonious. For we know, that in Myſteries of this high Nature, Ceremonies wait cloſe upon the Subſtances. They may as well ſay (and peradventure will ere long) that an Action of this kind may be done without a Prieſt, as without a troubleſome ſolemn Ceremony. Gerſon in his Sermon de Coenâ Domini ſaith, Spiritualia ſine temporalibus diu eſſe non poſſe, that things Spiritual would wax cold without things temporal, was a Proverb cried up by the worſt of the Prelates: but I am ſure that in theſe high Myſteries, Spiritualia ſine temporalibus eſſe non poſſe: that the Spiritual Graces (not eſſentially for want of any Vertue in them, but accidentally, by reaſon of ſuch Weakneſs, and Imperfection in us) will fail of their Operations, without temporal Ceremonies, is the Doctrine, not of the worſt, but of the beſt both of the Greek, and Latin Fathers.

p. 5757. Fourthly, You that are the Seers of Iſrael muſt ſee into the Lives, and Manners of your People. Which is the ſooner done, if you look well to your own. For it is moſt true on this caſe, what Gerſon ſaith, Vox operum fortiùs ſonat, quàm vox verborum: the ſound of your Sermon ſtrikes nothing ſo ſhrill in the Ears of your Pariſh, as the ſound of your Life and Converſation. Take heed therefore you do not Linguâ ſtruere, & manu deſtruere, as St. Bern. ſpeaks, build with the Tongue, and pull down with the Hand. For the Woman's Frump, which Gerſon, often cited, writes of, runs as well in Engliſh, as in other Languages; who being demanded, Si ſermo factus eſſet, if the Sermon was done, anſwered, the Sermon was ended, but it was not done. Dictus quidem eſt ſermo, ſed non factus, It was ſaid by rote, but it was not done. Dicunt emm hic ſacerdotes, & non faciunt: For the Prieſts with them us'd only to ſay, but ſeldom to do, or to perform their Sermons. Fifthly, If you be thoſe Seers the Canons require, you muſt ſee to your Peoples peace, quietneſs, and good agreeing: That your Neighbours do not ſpend their Bodies, their Minds, their Eſtates, and Childrens Bread in brabbles, quarrelling, and Law-ſuiting. Truly I am afraid, that Church-men in England have much to anſwer, for the Calamities of the Laity in this kind. Yet have you one by one, by the Pole as it were, in the Preſence of God, and your Mother the Church, promiſed the Biſhop better things at your Ordinations, to wit, that you would, as much as lay in you maintain Peace, and Quietneſs among all Chriſtian People, and eſpecially among thoſe, that were committed to your Charge, your Friends and Neighbours of the Pariſh. And I ſhall not need to ſtrain my Logick to let you ſee, how properly and eſſentially this civil part of a Juſtice of Peace, is woven into the Duty of every Paſtour, and Miniſter. For without this Peace-making, you may preach indeed, but in effect to no Pariſh, or Congregation. Becauſe Country-men, diſtracted with Law-ſuits, receive little good by you. And being ſometime in the midſt of the Church, are as though they were not there. Let them ſay what they will, it is too true, that in ſaying the Lord's Prayer after you, they pray for Forgiveneſs without forgiving: and too often, God knows, hear your Sermons with little heed, or liſtning. For the poor Souls, all that while the Hourglaſs runs, have Manum in Aetolis, animum in Cleopidis, as it is ſaid of one in Plutarch: they have their Eye, it may be, upon the Preacher, but their Mind upon their Attorney, Proctor, or Sollicitor. Yea but you are moſt of you learned Men, and can undeceive your People from theſe Phantaſies. You can ſhew them out of School-men, Quodlibets, and Caſuiſts, that Men may go to Law, and yet be in charity. And I muſt be bold to tell you back again, that People will be People for all your diſtinctions, and unleſs you can perſwade them to be in Charity without Law, for all your School-men, Quodlibets, and Caſuiſts, the poor Swains will be as they were, in Law without charity. To conclude this Point, where Brother goes to Law with Brother, and Neighbour with Neighbour about Matters of ſmall moment, I dare not ſay as St. Paul doth, that there is not a wiſe Man, but I will be ſo bold as to ſuſpect, that in that unhappy Town, there is ſcarce a wiſe and conſcientious Miniſter. Laſtly, If you be Seers of Chriſt's Flock, do as Jacob did, that thriving Shepherd, look well to your Sheep, when they are in conceiving. What Colour and Tincture you give them in that hint, you ſhall know them by it for many Years after. Never look that that Man ſhould profit at a Sermon, whom you never ſeaſon'd in his Principles of Chriſtianity. A Sermon (ſaith St. Cyril) is a good thing, but not ſo condition'd as a Catechiſm. Some Leſſons, forgotten in the one, are but looſe Stones in a Wall, which may be faſten'd again upon a ſecond opportunity: but Ignorance in thoſe Principles is a certain great Stone miſ-lay'd in the Foundation, which hazards the ruine of the whole Building. And again ſays that Father, the erecting of a Chriſtian, is like the planting of a Tree; if you give it not Earth, and rooting at the firſt, you can never repair it with watering, and pruning. Catechiſm, as St. Baſil calls it, is foreign, the preparing Colours, wherein you muſt dip the People, without the which, for all your Sermons, you ſhall never find them Purple in grain: but pale and wan as long as they live: as ill-grounded Colours uſe to do, ever and anon ſtaining, fading, and decaying I will conclude this Point with an Obſervation of that grave Divine Jo. Gerſon, in a Sermon of his, which I find alſo in a little Book of Peter de Aliaco, De reformatione eccleſiae. Eccleſiae reformatio debet inchoari à parvulis: If ever you will reform this Church of Men, you muſt begin with that Church of Children. And p. 58this is all that I ſhall ſay unto you in general, my good Brethren of the Clergy.

58. For you my honeſt Friends and Neighbours of the Laity, I ſhall ſay nothing to you of any Particulars, whereunto you are to anſwer by reaſon of your Offices, but transfer you wholly in that reſpect to thoſe Articles, which you have already receiv'd. But by way of general Exhortation, I am by the ancient Forms of Viſitations in this kind, to recommend unto you, for your Souls good, two principal Inſtructions, the one in point of Belief, the other in point of Practice. In point of Belief, I muſt require your aſſent, without wavering or heſitation, and to continue the remembrance of that Article of your Creed, the Reſurrection to Judgment at the laſt day. And for your Practice, I ſhall deſire you for your own great good, as well in this, as in the Life to come, to meditate day and night upon that Sentence of our Saviours, Mat. 7.12. All things whatſoever you would that Men ſhould do to you, do ye even ſo to them. For the Reſurrection to Judgment, it was an Article decried by the Heathen, from the firſt hour it came to be preached: it was mock'd at in St. Paul's time; Riſus gentium, the Flout of the Nations in Tertullian's time; foreign, an univerſal Laughter in St. Baſil's time: and the Point of Chriſtianity leaſt brook'd in St. Auſtin's time. And therefore, peradventure, enjoyned the Biſhops to be inculcated thus into the People, ever ſince the Braccaran Council. But however you may conceive it, perhaps, unneceſſary at this time, or in this Auditory. For, God be praiſed, you are all good Chriſtians, can ſay your Creed, and uſe to repeat it orderly after your Miniſter. That's well done. Yet muſt you know further, that it is not enough to ſay this Article with the Prieſt, unleſs you remember to practiſe it with all the People. This is an Article, not penned for the Tongue alone, but for the Hands alſo of a true Chriſtian. It is not enough to ſay it in Confeſſion, if you act it not in Life and Converſation. Do you therefore continually mind that diſmal ſound, that St. Hierom ſpeaks of, Ariſe you Dead, be changed you Living, and come to Judgment. If you all do ſo, I ſhall confeſs my Exhortation needleſs, and ſhall believe, that you believe indeed the Reſurrection to Judgment. But on the other ſide, if upon every ſlight Motion and Temptation, you ſurrender up the Members of thoſe Bodies of yours, that ſhall riſe to Judgment, as Servants to Sin, your Tongues for Lying, your Hands for Stealing, your Brains for Cheating, your Hearts for Malicing, your Feet for running to ſhed Blood: if you make the Members of Chriſt the Members of an Harlot: if you have all the reaſon in the World, upon the ſounding of that Trump, to call for the Mountains to fall upon you, and the Hills to cover you, that you may not come to Judgment, I muſt tell you, that ſhewing your Faith no better by your Works (as St. James bids you) I may believe that you can rehearſe; but I cannot believe, that you do mind or believe (at leaſtwiſe while you are in flagranti crimine, in the heighth, and meridian of your Sins) the Reſurrection to Judgment. It is not enough for you to believe, but alſo with all your might and power to live the Reſurrection to Judgment.

59. And were you but once paſt this firſt, you would quickly take out your ſecond Leſſon, whatſoever you would that Men ſhould do unto you, ſo to do unto them, it being impoſſible for a Chriſtian Soul to do otherwiſe, that were actually and throughly ſeaſon'd, with a practical Belief of the Reſurrection to Judgment. This Sentence, and Rule of Juſtice, and Charity, found out of purpoſe by our Saviour Chriſt for plain and ſimple Men, that are able to bear away no longer diſcourſe, to direct them to live peaceably in this Life, and happily in that to come, if you can remember, and put in uſe that one Sentence, it is enough, Do as you would be done unto. Why then, will ſome ſay to me, you are come to this Viſitation to bring us nothing, or almoſt nothing, a ſhort Sentence to make a Poſie in a Ring. O for all that do not diſreſpect the Littleneſs. It is Sententia bracteata, a Sentence to be written in Plates of Gold. And heretofore it hath been written in the Palaces of Kings and Emperors. It is a Sentence that procur'd eaſe with Anton. Pius, and reſpect to the Chriſtians with the Emperor Severus, as Hiſtorians report. Julius Capitolinus indeed makes ſome queſtion, whether that Emperor learn'd this Sentence from the Jews, or from the Chriſtians. But we make no queſtion at all, but he ſuck'd it with his Milk from his Mother Mammaea, the Scholar of that great Origen, as Caſaubon notes upon that Author. I tell you (dearly Beloved) Do as you would be done unto, is a Sentence, which once put in practice, would make an end of a World of Sentences: p. 59nay of all the Sentence; in this World, and peradventure of thoſe we fear in the World to come. You are many of you afraid of the Eccleſiaſtical, and many more (as you have more reaſon) of the Temporal Courts. Your Purſes may ſuffer in the one: and your Perſons, beſide your Purſes in the other. And yet do all the bitter Sentences of either Court iſſue from this Spring, from this only Spring, that either the Plaintiff, or the Defendant, or the Witneſs, or the Advocate, or the Proctor, or at the furtheſt the Judge himſelf hath quite forgotten this little Sentence, to do as he would be done unto. Yea, but is not this Univerſity Learning, and above the apprehenſion of a plain Man? No; St. Chryſ. ſays you need not repair to any Man to learn it. You have it foreign, at home in your own breaſt. It is a Flower that grows in your own Garden. It is a Notion, or Apprehenſion planted by the Finger of Nature in your own Boſom. As for Example, Would you know whether you may not, parle droict de bien-ſeance, as the Trench Maſters uſe to ſay, by a certain Point of Law, which I may call your better fitting and accommodation, make bold with your Neighbours Goods in ſuch a caſe, with his Lands in ſuch a caſe, his Fame in ſuch a caſe, his Wiſe in ſuch a caſe, or any thing that is his, as you will make the caſe? And yet do all theſe Feats cleanly and handſomely, with a colour at the leaſt of ſome Law, or Equity? You need not ſtudy Ulpian, Bartolus, or Baldus in this Point. You need not turn over the Reports of the Law; or the Year-books of the Judges. Unclaſp only the Book in your own Boſom, in your own Conſcience, and mark well what is written therein. You have your Demurrer argued there without Judge, or Counſellor. Do you find it there regiſtred, that upon the putting of the like caſe, your ſelf would be content to have your own Goods, your own Lands, your own Fame, your own Wiſe, or any thing that is yours taken from you? and withal to make the Matter a little worſe, and more picquant, to have a flouriſh of Law or Equity caſt upon the Caſe, to bereave you of that poor, and laſt Comfort, the Pity, and Compaſſion of the Beholders? If you find there no ſuch caſe reported from yourſelves, moot it not upon any other: but liſten unto Chriſt's little Sentence, and do as you would be done to. Yea, but perhaps I would be done to in my Temptations, what you will not admit, I ſhould do to another as in the Caſe of Fornication, or Adultery; ſhall I do in that caſe, what I deſire to be done to me? And therefore the Rule is not ſo ſafe as it is repreſented. Yea, but then if you will any thing, as this Rule would have you to will, you muſt will voluntate rationali & diſcretà, ſaith Alexander Ales, with a rational and diſcreet will, and then you ſhall not miſcarry. Or you muſt do as you would have Men do, homines, non bruta, as you would have Men, and not Beaſts do unto you, ſaith Albertus magnus. But thoſe that will do unto you any ſuch filthineſs, as you ſpeak of, are as St. Paul calls them, Men after the manner of Beaſts. And therefore in all your Actions whatſoever, remember ſtill this little Sentence, as you deſire to avoid thoſe other Sentences, ſome in this Life, and ſome in the Life to come. Which is all I ſhall ſay unto you my good Friends, and Neighbours of the Laity.

60. Now that particular thing, which I am to recommend to you, my Brethren of the Clergy, not falling properly within the Limits of a Viſitation, but put off by my ſelf for a Year or two, in hope of this, or the like opportunity, is Subſidium charitativum: which, ſo as it tend to a publick, and no private end, Biſhops by Law may move unto their Clergy. It is a charitable Benevolence, or Contribution for St. Paul's Cathedral Church, ſeated in London, which, as you know, is our foreign, as he ſaid he of Athens, our England of England, and our Landskip and Repreſentation of the whole Iſland. For here ſtrangers no ſooner arrive, but they firſt take unto themſelves, and then vent abroad unto others, a Scantling and Platform of the Britiſh Government, as well in Matters concerning the Church, as in thoſe that touch upon the State, and Commonwealth. Here if God's worſhip be decently perform'd, his Word learnedly Preach'd, his Sacraments reverently adminiſtred, his material Houſes poliſh'd, and repaired, eſpecially this great and huge Fabrick, the City, as it were of the City it ſelf, and a place of continual reſort both to our own and other Nations, then preſently omnes omnia bona dicere, the Mouth of Detraction is quite ſtopped, the Prieſts and Jeſuites are blank and ſilenc'd, the Government in Church and State is generally approved: And (which is more conſiderable than all the reſt) God himſelf is magnified and glorified, for giving a Nation Eighty years of Peace and Plenty, which had the Heart to return ſome little p. 60Share, ſomewhat at the leaſt, unto him again. But ſhould this Minſter ſtill remain (as of late it did) a great heap of mouldering Stones, or rather a little Mountain of Duſt and Rubbiſh; were our Churches in the inner places of this Iſle never ſo repaired, as I doubt it much, yet would Strangers, out of Error, and Seminaries, out of Rancour, poſſeſs the World, That ſince the Reformation God's Houſes in England are become the Habitations of Dragons, and a Court for Owls; that Satyrs do dance in them, and Beaſts of the Field do roar in them. Laſtly, That when Pater Noſter had reared them up to touch the Heavens, Our Father hath pull'd them down to the Duſt of the Earth. And is it nothing thus to become a Reproach and Proverb in all places? Nothing that God's Glory ſhould be thus impaired? Nothing that his Goſpel ſhould be thus blaſphemed? God forbid, but we ſhould all be ſenſible of it. And thus it muſt needs be, unleſs theſe great Fabricks, reared at the firſt, for the main of the Work, by Indulgences and Superſtition, be repaired again by the bountiful Devotion of King and People. But the Miſery of it is this; that People in all Ages are ſound to be People, that is far more eaſily nooſed and cheated, than taught, enlighten'd, or perſwaded. Whereas the Caſe, God be thanked, is otherwiſe, with you, my Brethren of the Clergy, whoſe advantage of Breeding makes you better underſtand a Motion from your King, ſo vigilant and attentive to any Motion of yours, eſpecially when it comes upon you as this doth, backed and accompanied with all the Reaſons and Demonſtrations of Piety and Policy. Beſide that, the Care of our Metropolitan hath been ſuch, that your Contribution may, without offence, be ſo minced and diſtributed to Years and Half-years, as that it ſhall become very eaſie and portable, doing good abroad, without hurting at home, or impairing in any ſenſible meaſure your private States or Fortunes. I will leave it thus unto your own Conſiderations, without accumulating more Reaſons or Motives, left I might ſeem to doubt of your Affections to any reaſonable Propoſition, whom I have found for theſe Fourteen years, as loving a Clergy to any Motion of mine, as I have been unto you, by reaſon of ſome Misfortunes, an unuſeful and unprofitable, yet a moſt affectionate, Biſhop.

61. Thus he ended; and thus was the Viſitation perfumed with the ſweet Gums of his Eloquence: Perhaps the Smell is too ſtrong for them that lov'd him not, and whoſe contumelious Writings and bitter Words eat into his Credit like Quickſilver. They will be wiſer when Truth and Charity meet together in them, which Graces they had need to pray for. Envy, like a Kite, ſits upon the top of the talleſt Tree in the Wood. A drowſie Biſhop, that had beſtirred himſelf in nothing to be known to Poſterity, no better than a ſilly Conſul, that ſerved for nothing but to know the Faſti by his Name, this man ſhould have ſcap'd the Laſh, it may be, had the good word of our common Jeerers; but offer another unto them that hath lived in Action and Renown, as our Prelate did, they will pull him out of his Grave, as one Pope ſerved another, to cenſure him. How ready have they been either to raiſe or take up Reports to wound him? Reports ſpread far and wide by the King's unfortunate Regiments, that reveli'd it with all kind of Inſolency round about him in Wales, whoſe ungovern'd looſeneſs the Biſhop could not endure, but oppos'd them ſtifly; wherein, it may be, he loſt his Judgment, conſidering their Strength and Rudeneſs. He loved the King's Cauſe, but not his Army, whoſe debauched Carriage and little Hope of Succeſs, methinks I read in Tully's Epiſtles, lib. 7. epiſt. 3. to M. Marius, concerning Pompey's Sword-men, Extra Ducem, paucoſ que praeterea (de Principibus loquor) reliqui primùm in bello rapaces: deinde in oratione it a crudeles, ut ipſam victoriam horrerem. Maximum aes alienum ampliſſimorum virorum: Quid quaeris? nihil boni praeter cauſam. Theſe are they that brought up Tales and Tidings of the Biſhop in their Knapſacks, to London; and on ſuch Stuff our Hiſtory-men, Eccleſiaſtical and Civil, are pleas'd to inſiſt. Why did they pretermit the noble parts of his Epiſcopal Government, digeſted in this Work in ſo many Paragraphs? which are ſo unqueſtionable, that they were ſeen and known to Thouſands. Nam lux altiſſima fati-occultum nihil eſſeſinit, Claud. Paneg. 4. Honor. What Spight is this, to be ſilent in that which was certainly ſo, and to engrave with a Pen of Steel that which was ignominous, uncertain, nay, a falſity which hath travelled hither out of the Mountains, 200 Miles? So Joſ. Scaliger revealed his Diſdain againſt ſome Criticks, in his Notes upon Manil. p. 175. Ubi reprehendendi ſumus, tunc nominis noſtri frequens mentio; aliàs mirum ſilentium. I need no Pardon, that I could not hold in to leave this Admonition behind, at the laſt Stage of his Epiſcopal p. 61Work, his general Viſitation, which was applauded much by all, except two ſorts of men. Some that had not done their Duty, and were mulcted, Quid triſtes querimoniae, ſi non ſupplicio culpa reciditur, Horat. Od. 24. lib. 3. ſuch could not eſcape Cenſure, who ſuffer'd with moderation, by one that appeared in his temperate Judicature rather to be above the Faults than above the Men. Two others, and of the Miniſtry, were ſullen, becauſe they did not ſpeed in their Preſentments according to their mind; the reaſon was, the Complainants were found to be rugged and contentious, not giving good Example of Yielding and Peace.

62. Let me caſt in a ſmall handful of other things fit to be remark'd: In adject is menſura non quaeritur. The Biſhop of Lincoln is a Viſitor of ſome Colleges by their local Statutes in both Univerſities: This Biſhop viſited Kings-College in Cambridge, upon the Petition of the Fellows thereof, anno 1628. when he ſhew'd himſelf to be a great Civilian and Canoniſt, before thoſe learned Hearers; but the Cauſe went for the right worthy Provoſt Dr. Collins, in whoſe Government the Biſhop could perceive neither Careleſneſs nor Covetouſneſs. The moſt that appeared was, That the Doctor had pelted ſome of the active Fellows with Slings of Wit: At which the Viſitor laugh'd heartily, and paſt them by, knowing that the Provoſt's Tongue could never be worm'd to ſpare his Jeſts, who was the readieſt alive to gird whom he would with innocent and facetious Urbanity. The Provoſt of Orial-College in Oxford, Dr. T…lſon, with others of his Society, viſited the Biſhop at his Palace of Bugd…, with a Signification to the Biſhop, that they might eject one of the Members of their Foundation, Mr. Tailour. The Biſhop ſaw there was ſmall reaſon to raiſe ſuch a Duſt out of a few indiſcreet words; yet he ſatisfied Dr. Tol…on, that Mr. Ta…our ſhould depart, ſo it were with a farewel of Credit; and he liked Mr. Tadour ſo well, that he took him into his own Houſe, till he had provided the Living of Hempſted for him. As … ſaid of his own Brother in Eraſm. Epiſt. p. 417. Illius mores tales ſunt, ut omnibus poſſint congruere. A benevolent Nature will agree with all men, and pleaſe the Adverſaries of both ſides. Thoſe of young and tender years were much in his Care, as appeared, that he ſeldom travelled, but Notice being given before, he ſtaid at ſome Town or Village, to confirm ſuch as were but even paſt children, to lay his Hands on them, and to bleſs them, and did it oſtener than the 60 Canon requires: An ancient and an admirable Order, when ſuch were preſented as were before made ready by being exactly catechized. And for Childrens ſakes he liſten'd much, what good Schoolmaſters he had in his Dioceſs, that bare the irkſome and tedious Burden, to rear up a good Seminary for Church and State; ſuch he valued, and thought their Place was better than is uſually given them in the World. They are the tertia that make up a happy Corporation, as Charles the Fifth thought, who entring into any Imperial City or Burough, was wont to ask the Recorder that did congraturate him, Have you a good Magiſtrate? Have you a good Paſtor? Have you a good Schoolmaſter? If he ſaid Yes; Then all muſt be well among you, ſaid the Emperor. Our Biſhop had the opportunity to conſecrate Churches new re-ediſied, and Chappels erected, which he perform'd with much Magnificence and Ceremony, that the Houſes of God, his Houſes of Prayer, might be had in a venerable regard. Nothing was more obſerv'd in that Performance, than that at the hallowing of a Chappel, belonging to the Manſion-place of Sir Goſtwick in Bedfordſhire, the Knight's Son and Heir being born deaf and dumb, and continuing in that defect, no ſooner did the Biſhop alight, and come into the Houſe, but the young Gentleman kneeled down, and made ſigns to the Biſhop, that he craved his Bleſſing, and had it with a paſſionate Embrace of Love. A ſweet Creature he was, and is, of rare Perſpicacity of Nature, rather of rare Illumination from God, whoſe Behaviour, Geſtures, and zealous Signs have procur'd and allow'd him admittance to Sermons, to Prayers, to the Lord's Supper, and to the Marriage of a Lady of a great and prudent Family, his Underſtanding ſpeaking as much in all his motions, as if his Tongue could articulately deliver his Mind. Nor was any of the Prelacy of England more frequented than this Lord, for two things: Firſt, by ſuch as made Suit unto him, to compound their Differences, that they might not come to the chargeable and irkſome attendance of the Courts of Law. Averſos ſolitus componere amicos, Horat. Serm. 5. And ſo many Cauſes were referred to him, and by no mean ones, that he continued, like a petty Chancellor, to arbitrate Contentions. Secondly, Sundry did appeal to his Judgment for Reſolution of Caſes of Conſciences (and moſt in Matrimonial p. 62Scruples) and of intricate Points of Faith, as about Juſtiſication and Predeſtination; in which, when he thought the doubting Perſon would not be contented with Diſcourſe, he gave them his Reſolutions very long and laborious, in Writing; which gathered together, and as I have ſeen them digeſted, would have made an handſome Tractate, but the worſt Viſitor that ever came to a Biſhop's Houſe ſeized on them, and never reſtored them. This was Kilvert, a vexatious Proſecutor of many in the Court of Star-chamber, for the King, whoſe Lineaments are drawn out in the Ninth Book of Apul. Metam. Omnia prorſus, ut in quandam comorum latrinam, in ejus animum vitia conſluxerunt. Every Beaſt hath ſome ill Property; this Beaſtly Fellow had all. He ſtands too near ſo good a Subject as is in hand, for this is the lively Image of a renowned Biſhop, the Image but of one, though the good Parts of many may be concentred in this one; as the Agrigentine Painter made Juno, by the Pattern of five well-favour'd Virgins. All that I have drawn up of his Paſtoral Behaviour was ſeen in the Day-light; therefore, as St. Paul ſaid of the Corinthians, whom he had commended, ſo I may with Modeſty apply it to my Subject; If I have boaſted any thing of him to you, I am not aſhamed, 2 Cor. 7.14. Nor is this all of him in that Holy Charge, not by a great deal, but ſo much as is preſerved in Script and Memory after the ranſacking of his Papers: Therefore, as Tully writes, lib. 3. de Orat. Majus quiddam de Socrate quàm quantum Platonis libri prae ſe ferunt, cog…andum: That Socrates was a braver man than Plato had made him in his Dialogues. So I have not made Dr. Williams ſo compleat a Biſhop as he was; he was more than I have deſcrib'd him, and would have been far more than himſelf had attain'd to, if the Meſſenger of Satan had not been ſent to buſſet him in many Troubles and Trials, leſt he ſhould have been exalted above meaſure.

63. After much that hath been dilated in this Book, pleaſing for Peace and Honour, Praiſe-worthy for Merit and Vertue, I muſt make room for Grief; it will thruſt in into every Regiſtry and Chronicle, into the remembrance of any man's Life, which is continued from the beginning to the end. Says …lato in his Phaedon (after his way of a Fable-frame of Philoſophy) when Jupiter could not make Joy and Sorrow agree, foreign. He yoked their Heads together, that they could never be parted: Therefore thoſe things which God's Providence hath joyn'd inſeparably, no Pen can put aſunder; ſo that the Current of this Hiſtory, hitherto clear, muſt fall into a dead Sea-like Jordan. The Good which this famous Biſhop did, muſt be continued with the Evil which he ſuffer'd: As Poluſiote writes of Jeremias, that he was foreign, the moſt paſſive, the moſt perſecuted of all the Prophets: So of all that this Church had preferr'd to the like Dignity, (except them that reſiſted to Blood) none was wounded with ſo many Darts of Deſpight as this man, or aviled with ſo many Cenſures, or ſtood ſo long in chaſe before his Enemies. Having delivered up the Great Seal, from the firſt day that he removed to Bugden, all Promiſes were broken, which gave him Aſſurance of Countenance and Safety; and the place to which he was bidden to go, as to a Sanctuary, aſſorded him no more ſhelter, than an Arbour in the Winter againſt a Shower of Rain. Therefore to keep off Miſtakes, be it noted, as to the time, it was the ſame, wherein he lived ſo like a Biſhop, and wherein he ſuffer'd ſo like a Confeſſor. But Method diſtinguiſheth thoſe Troubles by themſelves, like Tares gathered from the good Wheat, and bound in their own Bundles. Some are greater, practis'd upon no Subject before, nor fit to be done hereafter. Some are leſſer matters, yet not unworthy my Hand: When they are diſpoſed Limb by Limb, and in order as they were done, there will be much of them (I would they had been leſs) and be known to be enforced, without Shame of the World) with ſo much Wrong and Rancour that an indifferent Reader will depoſe, there needs no Fiction nor Colour, to make them worſe than they were. Thoſe that were outdone in the firſt place, were outgone by them that came after: Quid prima querar? Quid ſumma gemam? Pariter cuncla deſlere juvat. Sene. Her. Oet. What the laſt and greateſt ſhould have been is unknown, becauſe they came not to that Birth: It was decreed by Men, but undecreed by GOD, who ſent his Judgments upon all, and brought both Actors and Sufferers to utter Ruin by that Parliament, which held us as long as the iſſue of Blood held the Woman in the Goſpel, Twelve years, Mat. 9.20. It was no thanks to his Foes to give over then: It was ſtrange they would not give over till then, when one black day, like a Dooms-day, blended the whole Hierarchy, and (with their p. 63Lordſhips Leave) the Nobility in one maſs of Deſtruction. Thoſe underfatigable Enemies that purſued him, knew that he could never fall ſo low while he was alive, but that there was Worth, which was like to get up, and riſe again: He had never felt ſuch Sorrow if he had been contemn'd. It was his ill luck to be feared, becauſe of the great Powers of his Mind, whom none had cauſe to fear, ſince he never fought Revenge. Then they ſaw he would ſtand upright, and never ſtoop, after they had loaded his Back with ſo many Burthens, which made them obſtinate to proceed, and labour in vain to cruſh out that which was not Wind, but Spirit. The Mountainous Country of Wales, wherein he was born, breeds hardy men, but ſew his Equals, which Courage is no more to be forgotten, than the twelve Labours of Hercules. Let Xenophon ſpeak for Socrates, ſo muſt I for this Hero: foreign Apolog. in ſine. Obſerving the Wiſdom and Generoſity of the Man, I cannot but remember him; and when I remember him. I cannot but praiſe him. Neither were it uſeful (I will ſubſcribe to it) to bring up his Sufferings from the Dead, now he is gone, unleſs the People that come after may be made the wiſer and the ſtronger by them, if they fall into the like: But noble Examples are like the beſt Porcellan Diſhes of China, which are made in one Age, laid up in the Earth, and are brought forth to be uſed in another. That's the Goal I drive to: And thoſe Circuitions which are brought in for thoſe Applications ſake, will make that, which might be ſhut up in a little, ſwell into a Volume. Caſaubon gives us this Warning of Polybius, in his rare Preface before him: Ita narrat ut moneat: Perſonam hiſtorici cum aſſumpſit Polybius, non in totum exuit philoſophi. Folybius was a Philoſopher in his Hiſtory; ſo would I be, and more, a Teacher of Chriſt, and the Laws of his Church, as I am by Ordination.

64. For an entrance, I take my method from a wiſe Artiſt, concerning the long and dangerous Adventures of his Aeneas, to ſearch into the Cauſe, Quo numine laeſo, which way it came about, ſince there was no man living, whoſe Harm this Biſhop wiſh'd, that he could never find his Peace and Proſperity again, when once he had loſt them? Why, principally I caſt it upon his Sins; What Man is without them? And his were not many, but thoſe ſome were great ones; a lofty Spirit, whoſe motion tended upward, reſtleſs to climb to Fower and Honour; And not one among an hundred of great Aſpirers that live to ſee quiet days. And this was joyn'd with too much Fire in the paſſion of his Anger, in which Mood indeed, which is ſtrange, he would reaſon excellently, and continue it in the very Euro-clydon of his Choler; as the Low Germans are moſt cunning at a Bargain, when they are more than half tippled. But in ſuch an evil extaſie of the Mind, words would fall from him, or from any, which pleaſed not Men, and were hateful to GOD: Let theſe ſtand for the Fore-ſinger, that points to the cauſe of his bitter Encounters. Every man's evil Genius, that haunts him, is his own Sin, which wipes not out any paat of the Good which hath been written of him before. The ſame man appears not the ſame, but another in ſome miſcarriages. Polybius, lib. 16. commends Philip the Son of Demetrius very much, and anon diſpraiſes him, but reconciles it thus: foreign. It is neceſſary for a true Reporter, one while to extol, in another caſe to diſcommend the ſame perſon. Take one Advice beſide; No man that hath read God's own Judgment upon the Trial of Job, will cenſure him for the greateſt Sinner, that hath been the greateſt Sufferer. To take up the Croſs had not been an inſeparable Accident with receiving the Faith of the Goſpel, unleſs it were rather a Badge of Favour than of Puniſhment. He is happy, if he knows it, whoſe Faults enter their Action againſt him in this Life; he is a Priſoner of Hope, Zech. 9.11. and his Heart is blind, if he do not ſeek Mercy, and ſind it: Afflictions are Fetters for a Fool, and Bracelets for them that know how to wear them. And it is finely ſaid in the Eſſay, That the good things belonging to Proſperity are to be wiſh'd, but the good things belonging to Adverſity are to be admired. This being a true and a divine Sentence, That Sin, and nothing elſe, makes the Stock of every man's Comfort to dye in the Ground, as Job loves to ſpeak, it hangs well together, that God knows beſt in what manner to puniſh every man's Sin; who gave this Prelate great Favour with King James, but took King Charles's Affection from him. The Lord H. Howard, in his Book againſt Judicious Aſtrology, turns theſe Turnings into this uſe: Change of Princes p. 64breeds change of Favourites; but they that are once dear to God, are ever dear to him. I proteſt to the Reader, that Biſhop Williams could not be brought to believe, that the King bad any Willingneſs in his own Heart to afflict and bruiſe him, but that ſuch things came from the Infuſion of thoſe that had too much of His Majeſty's Ear, and by Importunity tranſported him from the lenity of his own Judgment. And when the greateſt Sorrows compaſs'd him about, he deſired only to be brought to the King, with the advantage of half an hour, to declare his Injuries and Innocency, ſo much he perſwaded himſelf that he was right in his gracious Opinion. He knew him to be a Prince Pious and Juſt: He preſum'd his Noble Soul would never forget with what Succeſs his Counſel and Contrivance removed all Obſtructions, to bring him as ſafe out of Spain as he deſir'd: He had received a Promiſe of everlaſting Love and Kindneſs, for tracing the Jugglings of Inoihoſa, and bringing them to light, whereby the dangerous Jealouſies of the old King were removed, and His Highneſs received ſweetly into his Father's Boſom. An honeſt man could not be ſuſpicious, that the memory of ſuch faithful Service was loſt. But ſtanders-by thought they ſaw more than the Biſhop did, who might ſooneſt be miſtaken in the Criſis of his own Diſeaſe, becauſe flattering Hope is but a waking Dream. If the King had not been pleaſed in his Sufferings, why did he let them ſwell ſo far? As his Royal Name was uſed in all, ſo his Good liking went to all, or after ſo many Bruiſings, Gentleneſs had not been forgotten. The Inſtruments next to be nam'd were moſt guilty of the Violence; yet the higheſt Power did more than permit and look on. As it is the Sun that ſcorcheth in July, and not the Dog-Star; it is a popular Error, which conceives as if that Star, when it roſe, did cauſe the heat of the Weather: Yet ſtill the Biſhop would not think his Caſe was in that extremity, that the King's Anger was in it: For as it is ſpoken of Padre-Paulo, in his Life, That he was leſs ſenſible of Fear than ordinarily men uſe to be; ſo this man would affright himſelf with nothing, leaſt of all, with that which was cloſe and uncertain, and would often ſay in a Frolick, That Miſeries are like the Plague, if you fear them, you draw them to you. But, which will give great light to the Subject now handled, once he was ſtartled at a word which fell ſuddenly from the King, in a few weeks after the death of his Father; one told him, that came from the French Court, as it is in the Cabal, p. 203. That the Spaniſh Ambaſſador ſpake openly there, when the Marriage with the Princeſs Mary was to be finiſh'd, That he could not have two Wives, for their Infanta was ſurely his: To which the King replied, There are ſome Engliſh, as well as Spaniards, that are of that Opinion. Which being carried from the King's Mouth to this Biſhop, he ſaid with a low Voice, I know no ſuch; but if he mean me, it will be the worſe for me while I live. From which let a wiſe man find out what he can, ſo he find no more than he ſhould. Either this, or ſome ſuch hard Conceit, lay hid in the King's Stomach, againſt a moſt deſerving Church-man. And every Age had ſome ſuch Example, at which it was aſtoniſh'd. No Hiſtory ſpeaks any ill of the Empreſs Eudoxia, but that ſhe could not agree with Chryſoſtom. Harry the Seventh, one of our beſt Kings, was very iniquous to Lord Stanly, one of his beſt Subjects: Not a better Lady than Q. Elizabeth, nor a better Peer than the Duke of Norfolk, yet Stateſmen thought that neither were ſafe while the other lived. The Hand of the Juſt may be heavy againſt the Juſt, by woful Experience: The greateſt Claw-backs of the Pope confeſs, Though he cannot err, ſay they, in an Opinion of Faith, he may err in the miſtake of a Perſon; as to canonize a wrong Saint, and excommunicate a right one. Which ſhews, that my Conſcience is in no ſuch ſtreight, to derogate from the Glory of a moſt bleſſed King, becauſe his Diſpleaſure, darken'd by human Error, lighted upon a Mephiboſheth, a faultleſs perſon.

65. The Duke of Buck. (Who knows it not?) was the Biſhop's ſtrong and proteſted Enemy, who vowed, that of all he had given him, (but with as much good liking of K. James as of his Lordſhip) he would leave him nothing; who when he threatned an ill turn, had Power to do it, and did not often forget it: Which made the Biſhop ſhelter himſelf under the King's Grace and Benevolence, of which he did never ceaſe to have a ſtrong Perſwaſion, begging, as it is Cabal. p. 109, for God's ſake, and for his bleſſed Father's ſake, that His Majeſty would allay the Duke's cauſeleſs Diſpleaſure, who was ſo little ſatisfied with any thing that he could do or ſuffer, that he had no means left to appeaſe his Anger, but Prayers to God, and his Sacred Majeſty. In the mean time that one p. 65Foe made the diſtreſſed Party get many Friends; like Rabirius's Fortune in Tully, Nihil aeque ac judicis accrbitas profurt; who had nothing to help him ſo much, as that Caeſar did hunt after his Ruin with ſo much violence. Now that which made the Duke's Defiances grow fiercer day by day, was not the Biſhop's ſtoutneſs, (to which he was ſufficiently prone) for he had ſought him with all Submiſſion, which was on this ſide of deſpicable Baſeneſs: But becauſe being ſent to for his Opinion, both by his Grace's Mother, and his moſtſollicitous Friends, he had faithfully expreſſ, That he did not like the ways wherein he magnified himſelf to ſerve the King: Who did not foreſee the Envy that his Magniloquence bred, ranting it ſometimes, That he would make His Majeſty the greateſt Monarch in Europe. I doubt not but his Head did work about it, and was ſo noble, that he would have died to effect it: And ſome that fawned upon him with all obſequiouſneſs, did ſeem to admire him in it; as the Earl of Holland, among others; ſuch are the Contents of his Letters, Cab. p. 297. I hope nothing ſhall light upon your Lordſhip, but what you deſerve, the which, to my knowledge, is of more Value and Eſteem, than any man in the World could, or ever can merit from this Kingdom. The Biſhop, that would not concur to deſtroy him, by miſguidance of Flattery, who had been Copartner with King James in his Preferments, ſung quite to another Tune: He liked not his Preparations againſt Cales, but preſaged a diſhonourable Return; and preſt that Maxim home to divert him from it, That a King muſt make himſelf ſure in the Love of his own People at home, before he bid War abroad to ſuch a rich and mighty Nation. Next, the ſecond Parliament being ſummoned, and this Biſhop demanded what was beſt for the Duke's abearing in it, he reſolv'd it to thoſe Friends that ask'd it, His beſt way will be, not to come near it; for it will be impoſſible for him to cloſe with this Parliament, who, contrary to my Advice, offended the former, and broke it up: Let him remove himſelf, by ſome great Embaſſage, till the firſt Seſſion be ended, into Germany if he will, as far as Vienna, if he dare truſt the King of Spain's greateſt Friend and neareſt Ally. This was diſreliſh'd, for they of E. Buck. Counſel, rather than ſend him ſo far from the King, would hazard him in the Parliament, in which they thought they were ſtrong enough, by the Party they had made, to keep him from all Offence, as well in his Honour as in his Perſon. The Biſhop perſiſted to remove them from their Confidence; for nothing is more fallacious than ſuch Expectation. Many that are beſpoken, and promiſe fair, are quite alter'd when they are mingled with their fellow-Judges in the Houſe. As Matchiavel ſays it was a Florentine Proverb, Populus alurm animum in foro, alium in Senatu habet, De Rep. lib. 1. c. 47. All that he ſaid followed as right as ever Lucas Guaricus drew up a Scheme of Predictions; for, that Parliament diſcharged ſuch a Volley of Complaints againſt his Lordſhip, that the Votes of the Declinators could not be heard for the noiſe. And his Grace pluck'd hard for Peace and Popularity with the Commons, but could not encounter them. But, what a ſtruggling he kept with his hard Deſtiny, to be enflamed the more againſt the much abuſed Biſhop, becauſe his Predictions were ſo prophetical! A good Chaplain would have told him, that God's Wiſdom is ſeen by his Fore-warnings, and his Goodneſs in giving them. Nor was it Juſtice to account him a Foe, becauſe he was wiſer than an ordinary Friend: But, who had the worſt of it in the end? Or rather, who had the worſt of it from the very beginning? Miſerior eſt qui ſuſcipit in ſe ſcelus, quàm qui alterius facinus ſubire cogitur, Tul. Phil. II. He is more miſerable that doth a Wrong, than he that ſuffers it. Yet, by the Mediation of wiſe men, the Duke continued not full two years more in this Uncharitableneſs; for he promiſed, at a ſecret Meeting, two months before he died, to repoſſeſs the Biſhop in Favour, and deſign'd a time for the open profeſſion of it; ſo that the Sun of his Life did not go down in Wrath: And God did appear in it, who will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever, Pſal. 103. v 9.

66. Of all men, Biſhop Laud was the Party whoſe Enmity was moſt tedious, and moſt ſpightful againſt his great Benefactor Lincoln. He batter'd him with old and new Contrivances fifteen years: His very Dreams were not without them, as they are enrolled in his Memorials, drawn out with his own Hand: I will touch that Fault, that great Fault, with a gentle Hand, becauſe of that Good which was in him; becauſe in other things, I believe, for my part, he was better than he was commonly thought; becauſe his Death did extinguiſh a great deal of Envy. I meet with him in his worſt Action that ever he did, and cannot ſhun it: If I ſhould draw him in purpoſely to defame him, now p. 66he is at reſt, I were more ſacrilegious than if I rob'd his Tomb. Qui cineres at que oſſa perempti inſequitur, Virg. Let it be the Character of a Miſcreant: But his Part is in every Act and Scene of a Tragical Perſecution of 15 years: Hoc etiam ipſi culpabunt mali, Plautus in Bacchid. Perhaps it began from an Emulation to keep him back, who was only like to be Biſhop Laud's Competitor, for the greateſt Place of our Church. Had it gone no further, it might be cenfur'd moderately, for a common Temptation. No wonder if the Seal and the Sword-fiſh never ſwim quietly in the ſame Channel. But, to diſcontinue Brotherly Love upon that ſcore, to throw it aſide, to further all pernicious means, tending to the Infamy and Ruin of his imagin'd Rival, it is paſt Excuſe, and can bear no Apology. O how many are in Safety of Conſcience, that ſhould not be ſo! For he that loveth not his Brother, much more he that hateth him, abideth in death, 1 Joh. 3.14. That opinion which my ſelf and many have of his Sincerity, appearing not in a little, and the Proofs of his Bitterneſs being ſo evident in this Cauſe, it deſerves a little Direction, to take away ſuſpenſe of Judgment. Experience, one of the plaineſt Teachers, doth demonſtrate, that ſome Drift, or Delight, may creep ſo far into the Heart of him that fears God, that he will not look upon the Deformity of it as he ſhould, to think it a Sin: Which I take to be the reaſon of Polygamy in the Patriarchs, and the beſt Kings of Juda. Moſt of all, an evil thing may ſoon be attempted, when we think we may do it without hazarding our Salvation; and we dare yet do more, when we have no Fear to be anſwerable to the Juſtice of Men. Spalat. ſays, lib. 4. Ecc. Reip, c. 7. par. 13. That John Biſhop of Conſtantinople, that aſſumed to himſelf the Title of Univerſal Biſhop, or Patriarch, was a good man, given greatly to Alms, and Faſting, but too much addicted to advance the Title of his See; which made a plauſible Prelate ſeem to be Antichriſt to Gregory the Great. Pick out of this to the preſent Subject, what a Provocation it was to the ambitious Spirit of Biſhop Laud, a man of many Good Works, to blow out his Light, that in common Opinion did outſhine him: Which I may allude to, in way of Parody, from the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 3.10. He that was made glorious, had no glory in this reſpect, by reaſon of the glory that excelleth. And what a Temptation it was to follow his Thruſt, when he was perſwaded, that the removing of one ſuſpected would be the bottom of his Safety? Therefore according to the Prudence and Charity that God hath given me, I will neither altogether ſhake off the good Eſteem I had of him, nor think too highly and abſolutely of human Infirmity. And this is inſerted, to do him Juſtice, who was the chiefeſt cauſe, under God's Providence and Permiſſion, of all the Injuſtice and Troubles that did light upon Lincoln. It is an old Rule in Gregorius Thaumat. in Orat. Paneg. ad Originem, foreign. I think it not fit to praiſe one man, with the reproach of others; for it implies a Contradiction, to think to do Right to one, by doing Wrong to another: Which is enough to bring off the mention of the Cauſes, that dealt not well with an innocent man: And though, for all he ſuffer'd, he had no reaſon to thank his Enemies, I may chearfully write it, he had reaſon to thank God for his Enemies.

67. The Particulars at which the perſon aggrieved took Unkindneſs, are now to be remembred, keeping near to the Shore at firſt, before we launch into the Deep: And had the Biſhop's humble Petition been heard, which he made to His Majeſty, Cabal. p. 118. that deep had never been ſounded.

I Beſeech your Majeſty, for Chriſt Jeſus ſake, not to believe News or Accuſations againſt me, concerning my Carriage paſt, preſent, or to come, while I ſtand thus enjoyned from your Royal Preſence, before you ſhall have heard my Anſwer and Defence to the Particulars. They that inform your Majeſty, may, God knoweth, be oftentimes miſinformed.

It was time for him to ſupplicate for this Juſtice, for he knew that his Name was abuſed in the King's Bed-chamber, with continual Scandals; Lyes that were untraceable in their ground and original. And he had reaſon to ſuſpect, that of ſuch Stuff there was more than came to his Knowledge: But Jealouſies had better ſigh themſelves away, than crave Redreſs from Princes; againſt ſuch ſecret Stingings there's no prevention, but great Fear; for they that go a Batt-fowling in the dark, to ſeek matter of Crimination, and inject miſtruſtful and uncharitable Reports day by day, to undermine the man they aim at, fetch p. 67that about by many Fly-blowings, which they cannot do at once: As a little Sand gathers into a body by many Tydes, and in time becomes a Shelf, and at laſt a Bar, or Quick-ſand, able to drown the beſt Frigat. It is fit that Kings ſhould have Intelligence, but upon the Peril of him that brings not a Truth. It is fit they ſhould know their Subjects, but not in a falſe Glaſs. He that abuſeth a Kings Ears, robs not from the Sheaf, or from the Stack, but from the Seed-corn, which is treble Thievery. A man that ſpreads Libels corrupts the People: A Delator that whiſpers invented Tales into his Soveraign, is worſe, for he corrupts him that is worth Ten thouſand of the People. Biſhop Hall's ſweet Paſſage is worth the learning; That it is good to be Led, not to be Carried by the Ears: That is, it is good to uſe the Ear, not to truſt to it. Theſe Blob-tales, when they could find no other News to keep their Tongues in motion, laid open our Biſhop for a Malignant, becauſe he gave Entertainment at his Board, to ſuch as carried a Grudge to the Lord Duke's Proſperity; who, if ſuch, came in their courſe to his Houſe upon old acquaintance, but upon no factious deſign, that ever was proved. Hard was the Condition of Archbiſhop Abbot, as he complains in his Manuſcript, That he was accuſed for Sir Tho. Wentworth's reſorting to him, who had been with him but once in three quarters of a Year, and then to conſult about Sir George Savile's Son and Heir, to whom jointly they were both Guardians. This Superintendency to watch every man that goes in and out in a great Family, is too mean for the Care, and too baſe for the Fear of a Generous Ruler. Liſten to Caeſar's Mind, as Mutius reports it to Cicero, in the familiar Epiſtles; Caeſar nunquam interpellavit, quin quibus vellem, at que etiam quos ipſe non diligebat, tamen uterer. Admit there was no Harm, for there was none, in the Society that this Biſhop kept, yet the Caſe is alter'd when a man is deſpighted, and when Grievances are blown out to their utmoſt wideneſs, by the Hatred carried againſt him. Yet well-fare Circumſpection, and Innocency, that theſe privy Suggeſtions went out one by one, like Sparks that fall upon dank and unprepared matter. More Harm was expected to come from a Commiſſion of Thirteen, who had Order from the Duke to meet together, to ſift into every part and paſſage of the Biſhop's Tranſactions, and to collect what was culpable, and would bear Cenſure in the Kings-bench, Star-chamber, or High Court of Parliament. The chiefeſt of the Thirteen in Place, was Sir Rob. Heath Attorny-General, but an honeſt man, and a fair dealer. This was carried with that little noiſe, that for a good ſpace the vigilant Biſhop was not awaked with it, till ſome of his old Officers broke it to him, who were called, and interrogated upon ſome of his Decrees and Diſpatches. Sir Anth. Welden (I borrow the Teſtimony of an Enemy) expreſſeth it thus, p. 174. His Rum was determin'd, not upon any known Crime, but upon Circumſtances and Examinations, to pick out Faults committed in his whole Life-time. And, as it were to confront the Tribunal of this unuſual Inquiſition, the Biſhop writes to His Majeſty, juſt at the time when it ſate, That no uſe might be made of his Sacred Name, to wound him; but that he craved no Protection againſt any other Accuſer or Accuſation whatſoever, Cab. p. 118. See the ſtoutneſs of a clear Conſcience: He knew how the Buſhes were beaten, and how the Beagle ranged the Field for Game. He heard the Cry of the Blood-hounds, that noſed the Ground where he trod. Qui ſi non cecidit, potuit cecidiſſe videri, Metam. lib. 2. But all was well; that Commiſſion ended at Labour in vain; not as the old Emblem is, to go about to make a Black-moor white, but to make him that was White to appear like a Black-moor. That Inquiſition could find no Fault in him, but it is eaſie to find Fault with that Inquiſition. A Magiſtrate muſt try him that is accuſed for a Delinquent, becauſe he is a Judge; but he muſt not try how he may make a Delinquent, becauſe he is a Father. There was nothing good in that privy Search, but that the Patient was no Patient; and, that his Enemies lookt far into him, and found nothing which they fought for. Like them that delve into the bottom of the Sea, and fetch up Sponges; ſo The Righteous ſhall hold on his way; and he that hath clean hands ſhall be ſtronger and ſtronger, Job 17.9.

68. Neither did it deject the Biſhop to be made a Gazing-ſtock by Diſparagements. The King's Coronation, and his ſecond Parliament, began together at Candlemas; and he was warned by Letter to ſerve at neither. A Coronation being uſually accompanied with a General Pardon, ſhould have caſt a Frown upon none: Yet his Place was not granted him, to do his Homage among the Spiritual Lords, nor to aſſiſt the Archbiſhop, at the Sacred Parts of that high Solemnity, as Dean of Weſtminſter. It is arbitrary, and at the King's Pleaſure, p. 68to range that Royal Ceremony as he likes beſt; to follow former Preſidents, or wave them; to intruſt what Miniſters he likes, in the Management, except ſome Tenure or old Charter give admittance to ſome perſons without exception. Otherwiſe in the very principal performance, ſays venerable Saravia, De Chriſt. Obed. p. 139. Ab Epiſcopo traditur corona, quod poteſt furi à proceribus. But the Dean of the Collegiate Church of Weſtminſter did attend, as a ſpecal Officer at the Coronation of K. James, after the manner of Deacon to the Archbiſhop of Canterbury, (it was Dr. Andrews) which could not be granted him by Preſcription; for there was no Dean, nor any ſuch Dignity in the Church, at the Coronation of Q. Elizabeth. But upon the new Foundation, Anno 3. of that Queen, the Dean was intruſted with the Cuſtody of K. Edward's Crown, and the other Regalia, and Decorum was kept thereupon, to give him a great Employment of Aſſiſtance on that day. Yet the Regalia were kept in a ſtrong place of that Church long before: For, I find in Baron. anno 1060. par. II. That Pope Nicholas the Second gave a Charter to that Abby, Ut ſit repoſitorium regalium inſignium. What a buſie Fiſher was this, that would have an Oar, or a Net rather, in every Boat? Could not the Kings of England, without him, appoint the fitteſt place for the Cuſtody of the Ornaments of their Imperial Majeſties? He that was ſo kind to diſpoſe who ſhould keep the Crown, did mean, That the King ſhould not wear it without his Leave and Courteſie. And let it be his Fault to be impertinent, and to meddle with the keeping of Royal Treaſure, that did not concern him: What is their Crime, that have carried them quite away, both Crown, and Scepter, and Robes, from their ancient Sacrary? (I would that had been all.) This was wont to be the Mark of him that oppoſeth and exalts himſelf above all that is called GOD, Dixi Dii eſt is, 2 Theſſ. 2.4. But, what's the matter that I have almoſt loſt my ſelf in this Loſs? I was about to tell, that Biſhop Williams muſt not wait in the Honourable Place of the Dean, at the Coronation, but in a Complement he was ſent to Name one of the Twelve Prebendaries, to ſerve in his room. This was deviſed to fret him, and to catch a Waſp in a Water-trap. Biſhop Laud was a Prebendary at this time, and the Subſtitute intended at Court, to act in the Coronation. If Lincoln ſhould Name him, he had been laugh'd at, for preferring the man that thruſt himſelf by;—And if he did not Name him, and no other, he had been check'd for inſcribing one of a leſſer Order in the Church, before a Biſhop, to ſo great a Service. But his Wit ſaved him from either Inconvenience: He ſent the Names of his Twelve Brethren to the King, reſigning it up to His Majeſty to elect whom he pleaſed. A Submiſſion which Climacus would call Sepulchrum voluntatis, a dead Obedience, without a ſenſible Concurrence. And he ſtirred no more, either by Challenge or Petition, to do that eminent Office of the Deanery in his own Perſon, but ſays in his Letter to the King, That he ſubmitted to that Sequeſtration; for ſo he calls it. It is wiſe to ſit down when a man can trouble no Body but himſelf, if he moves. Eſpecially I affect the Leſſon which Eraſmus gives in an Epiſtle, p. 222. Pulchrius eſt aliquando modeſtia, quam cansâ ſuperare. It is handſomer ſometimes to excel in Modeſty, than to win a Cauſe.

69. Other Reaſons ſway'd this circumſpect man, to carry it with no ſuch Indifferency, that he was not called to the Parliament: But to do Honour to the King, and to ſave his own Right (nay, the common Right of Peers) he took a middle way between Crouching and Contumacy. He call'd it His Majeſty's Gracious Pleaſure, (and was in earneſt, that he eſteem'd it ſo) to ſpare his Preſence at the Parliament; but he expoſtulated to have a Writ of Summons (denied to no Priſoners, no, nor condemned Peers, in the late Reign of his bleſſed Father, Cab. p. 118.) that accordingly he might make a Proxy; which he could not do, the Writ not receiv'd. And he ſtruggled, till he had it in his own way, and entruſted it with the Lord Andrews, Biſhop of Wincheſter, it being the laſt Parliament wherein that famous Servant of God ſate, and the laſt year of his Life. But the — Mr. W. Sanders tells us, p. 143. of his Annals of King Charles, That Lincoln, at this time, continued not a Peer, but a Prelate in Parliament. Res memoranda novis Annalibus, at que recenti—hiſtoriâ, Juven. Sat. 2. This is a pitiful matter; for, what Biſhop of Lincoln could be a Prelate in thoſe days, and not a Peer? Is it his meaning, that he did not ſit among the Peers? Nor did he ſit among the Prelates in Convocation; but by Proxy he ſate in both places as Peer and Prelate. A Letter ſent from him to the King, and dated March 12. will clear this matter, and greater things, or elſe it had not p. 69been publiſh'd. 'Tis large and confident, ſearing the Duke's Greatneſs no more than the Statuary Work of a vaſt Coloſſus. But as Portius Latro ſays in Salluſt, Graviſſimi ſunt morſus irritatae neceſſitat is; 'Tis no marvel if Neceſſity break good Manners; which will break through Stone Walls, ſays the Proverb: And much Provocations attends not much whom it diſpleaſeth. The Letter follows.