Eloquence he applyed himself mainly to the study of Divinity and to the reading of Holy Scripture to which he ever attributed all Authority in matters of Faith and Controversies of Religion Yet he dilihently turned over the Writings of Modern Divines and such was his indefatigable pains within few years he read over all the sound and most useful Books of the Fathers both Greek and Latin setting himself a daily task which if he were interrupted and lost any time in his daily business by visit of friends his manner was to make it up by his night watchings But by this custom though he gained knowledge he impaired his health neither the firm constitution of his Body nor his temperate diet nor the Recreation he sometimes used by Shooting by Angling and when the season of the year would not suffer these by the Philosophical Game at Chess I say none of these could make amends for the injuries his health received from his immoderate Studies 6. However he pleased himself in the daily increase of his large stock of Learning and thereby was most dear to the Learned Master of his Colledge Doctor Whitgift not only intimate with him whilst he continued Master but after he was advanced to the highest place of the Church still accounted as a most beloved Son Together with daily and nightly reading of good Authors he was much and frequent in all exercises Common-placing in the Chappel CountryPreaching and Domestick Catechising in the same Colledge to which adde his three solemn Lectures for his degree of Batchelor in Divinity In all which I know not whether he shewed himself a more learned Divine or more pious Christian. 7. Those were but Specimens and Documents of his future excellencies For at the publick Commencement An. 1578. at St. Maries he preached the Latin-Sermon Learned Pious Eloquent Then he handled two Theological Questions and answer'd in the Schools solidly and subtilly to the satisfaction of all And yet they were not satisfied for our Whitaker was called again into the Battel to defend certain Theses which he did with great sufficiency against the opposition and assault of the Heads of Colledges and other the most able Doctors of the University 8. This Victory being obtained he rested himself a while in his Colledge yet so as to prepare himself for more work And that was cut out for him when by the remove of Doctor Chaderton from the Doctoral to the Episcopal Chair our Whitaker was chosen Regius Professor in his room the Electors passing by his Seniors and preferring him for his great reading and judgment surpassing his years and standing Although this high dignity was conferred on him not by his own ambitious suit but for his merit and worth and the good trial the University had of him yet his friends were a little doubtful how he would bear the Envy and burden of the place comforting themselves nevertheless and hoping good success as being assured by his Sobriety and Prudence in such years together with his industry in Studies and his unfeigned Piety and Devotion 9. Nor were they deceived in their hopes for no sooner had he settled him to his Lectures but they found all things in him requisite in an excellent Divine and a most exercised Professor various Reading sharp Judgment easie and pure Expression sound and solid Doctrine all these which indeed are all commendable shined forth in his first prelections Whereupon his Fame is spread through the University and the Students flock unto him in greater Numbers and attend with greater earnestness and write his Dictates His first endeavours were in the interpretation of the three first Chapters of St. Luke next he ran over all the Epistle to the Galatians then he attempted St. Pauls First to Timothy whence he proposed many useful observations for young Divines Lastly he explained the Song of Solomon And so laying aside the Interpretations of Scriptures An. 1585. Feb. 17. he began to bend his Forces to the Controversies of Religion between us and the Papists 10. But before this An. 1581. in his answer to Campians 10 Reasons he disarmed that vaunting Adversary and after him replyed to Duraeus who engaged in the quarrel on Campians behalf and stopped the mouth of that railer using such civility and wit and evidence in these two Books that himself was thereby much honoured and the Cause of our Church very much advantaged His next opposite was Saunders a notable English Papist against whose demonstrations of Antichrist our Whitaker published an Answer with an Appendix his Thesis de Antichristo when he commenced Doctor This Answer to Saunders gave him another Adversary Reynolds whose aspersions he vouchsafed to wipe off and then set upon a more noble Champion Bellarmine 11. And first he began with the Controversie de Scripturis which he proposed Methodically and treated on accurately in six questions published by himself An. 1588. So proceeding orderly he went through the Controversies De Ecclesia De conciliis De Romano pontifice De Ministris De Mortuis De Ecclesia Triumphante De Sacramentis De Baptismo De Eucharistia All which as he had handled with the Admiration and Applause of his Auditors so they wished he had time to revise them and set them forth in Print But the Professor being carried on with a desire of confuting Bellarmine throughout laid by his former Lectures expecting at length some convenient time to publish them which God was not pleased to afford him but took him away too soon for us from fighting his Battels in defence of truth to receive the Crown he had ready for him In all those Controversies his assiduity and diligence was very great reading twice or thrice every week in Term time except hindred by some weighty business which seldom happened and was carefully avoided He dealt with his Adversary civily and ingenuously not disparaging but making the best of his Arguments finding out and shewing the Knot and then dexterously untying it such was his Candor that Bellarmine himself is said to have gratefully acknowledged it 12. Nevertheless Stapleton Bellarmine being silent finding a sore place of his lib. 9. Princip Doct. gently touched by Whitaker kicks at him and casts upon him whole loads of Reproaches and Slanders without wit or modesty in a Book written as he pretends at his spare hours in answer to the third Question of the second Controversie To which Whitaker speedily prepares a Reply somewhat more sharp than his manner was for some Diseases must have strong Medicines and so fully and clearly refutes all his Reasons and Reproaches that the Lovain Doctor had no more spare hours not play days to write any more against Whitaker neither are those mad and unsavory words Doctor indocte disputator absurde professor asinine Magister mendax c any more heard touching the most perfect and most Modest Divine of our Age. 13. It is to be wished that the rest of Dr. Whitakers Writings may come to light namely several Sermons ad clerum
by hastning to give life to his Books But this is certain that the nearer he was to his Death the more he grew in Humility in holy Thoughts and Resolutions 27. In this time of his Sickness and not many days before his death his house was rob'd of which he having notice his question was Are my Books and written Papers safe And being answered that they were his reply was Then it matters not for no other loss can trouble me 28. About one day or two before his death Dr. Saravia who knew the very secrets of his soul for they were supposed to be Confessors to each other came to him and after a Conference of the benefit of the Churches Absolution it was resolved that the Doctor should give him both that and the Sacrament the day following Which being performed he returned early the next morning and found Mr. Hooker deep in Contemplation and not inclinable to discourse which gave the Doctor occasion to require his present thoughts to which he replyed That he was meditating of the number and nature of Angels and their blessed Obedience and Order without which peace could not be in Heaven And oh that it might be so on earth And a little afterward Lord shew Mercy to me and let not death be terrible and then take thine own time I submit to it let thy will be done And after a little slumber Good Doctor said he God hath heard my daily Petitions for I am at peace with all men and he is at peace with me And from that blessed assurance I feel that inward joy which this world can neither give nor take from me Then after a short conflict betwixt Nature and Death a quiet sigh put a period to his last breath and he fell asleep 29. He died in the 46. or 47. year of his Age Mr. Cambden who hath the year 1599. and the Author of that Inscription on his Monument at Borne who hath 1603. are both mistaken For it is attested under the hand of Mr. Somner Canterbury-Register that Hooker's Will bears date Octob. 26. 1600. and that it was prov'd Decemb. 3. following He left four Daughters and to each of them 100. l. his Wife Jone his sole Executrix and by his Inventory his Estate a great part of it being in Books came to 1092 l. 9 s. 2 d. His youngest Daughter Margaret was Married unto Ezekiel Clark a Minister neer Cant. who left a Son Ezekiel at this time Rector of Waldron in Sussex 30. Dr. Henry King Bishop of Chichester in a Letter to Mr. Walton My Father's knowledge of Mr. Hooker was occasion'd by the Learned Dr. John Spencer who after the Death of Mr. Hooker was so careful to preserve his three last Books of Ecclesiastical Politie and other Writings that he procur'd Henry Juckson then of C. C. Colledge to transcribe for him all Mr. Hookers remaining written Papers many of which were imperfect for his Study had been rifled or worse used by Mr. Clark and another of Principles too like his These Papers were endeavoured to be completed by his dear Friend Dr. Spencer who bequeathed them as a precious Legacy to my Father then Bishop of London After whose death they rested in my hand till Doctor Abbot then Archbishop of Canterbury Commanded them out of my Custody They remained as I have heard in the Bishops Library till the Martyrdom of Archbishop Laud and were then by the Brethren of that Faction given with the Library to Hugh Peters and although they could hardly fall into a fouler hand yet there wanted not other endeavours to corrupt them and make them speak that Language for which the Faction then fought which was to subject the Sovereign power to the people Thus for Bishop King 31. Soon after Mr. Hooker's death Archbishop Whitgift sent for Mrs. Hooker to Lambeth and examined her concerning those three last Books to whom she confessed That Mr. Clark and another Minister near Canterbury came to her and desired that they might go into her Husbands Study and III. Dr. Will. Whitaker From the Latin Life before his Works 1. NAzianzen saith Let a Minister teach by his Conversation also or not teach at all Herein shewing his Zeal rather than his Judgment for Christ would have the Doctrine even of the impure Pharisees sitting in Moses Chair to be heard and his Apostle rejoyceth that Christ is preached howsoever though out of Envy and Contention Nevertheless it is true the Doctrine is more accepted when it is delivered by a Clean hand and when the Will of God is declared to us by one that does it The more worthy is the holy and learned Whitaker to be set forth whose great care was Vertere verba in opera as St. Jerom speaks to be an example of what he taught and who deserved a better Pen an Homer to describe this Achilles than mine yet shall I endeavour to recompence the want of Oratory by my diligence and Fidelity in the Narration 2. He was born in Lancashire at Holme in the Parish of Burnbey a mountainous place in such an Air as is fittest to cherish a purer Wit his Parents both of good Families and noble Alliance Having passed his Childhood under their Tuition and learned the first Rudiments of Grammar under his Master Hartgrave to whom afterward he was a good Benefactor at 13 years of age his Uncle Dr. Nowell the famous Dean of Pauls for his better Education sent for his Nephew into his house and kept him in Pauls-School till he was fit for the University 3. At the age of 18. the good Dean sent him to Cambridge and placed him in Trinity-Colledge under the care of Mr West where for his proficiency in Manners and Learning he was chosen first Scholar then Fellow of the House and performed both his private and publick Exercises with such commendation that in due time he was honoured with his Degrees in the Arts and having with much applause attained them gave not himself to ease as many do but followed his Studies with greater vehemence 4. His first-fruits he gratefully paid to his Reverend Uncle in the Translation of his Elegant Latin Catechism into as Elegant Greek And further to shew his Affection to the Church of England he rendred the Liturgy or Divine Service into pure Latin Lastly he adventured upon a greater work and excellently translated into the Latin Tongue that learned Defence of Bishop Jewell against Harding wherein 27 Theses are maintained out of the Monuments of Fathers and Councils within the first 600 years after Christ A work of great use to the Church and promising that the Translator would in time be Author of the like 5. After he had performed a solemn exercise at the Commencement being upon a dissention between the Proctors chosen to be Father of the Artists whose office is to praise encourage and exhort the proceeders and to handle some Questions in Philosophy and had thereby filled the University with admiration of his Learning and
preached in the beginning of every year Brief determinations of Theological Questions in the Schools very many and written with his own hand Fuller and more exact determinations of questions at the Commencement of the same number with his Latin Sermons a Book against Stapleton De originali peccato written fair and prepared for the Press The loss of these we may impute to his Immature Death For by a winter Journey to London and immoderate watching he contracted a Disease whereof he died peaceably breathing out his Spirit sweetly as an infant and saying He desired to live no longer unless for Gods Honour and the Churches service He was honourably buried in his Colledge having been Regius Professor An. 16. Head of St. Johns An. 9. Decemb. 1595. AEt 47. IV. Dr. Andrew Willet From Dr. Peter Smith 1. THere is no way more expedite of instruction to good life as Polybius wisely observeth than by the knowledge of things past and of the noble acts of famous Worthies their Histories are our Documents and their honours our incitements whereas Fame contemned brings contempt of Virtue We are not easily moved with Precepts Examples are more powerful Wherefore I have adventured briefly to sum up a few remarkable passages of the Life and Death of the Laborious and Learned Dr. Willet whose worth in the full Latitude cannot easily be expressed and my guide herein shall be either certain knowledge or most credible relation 2. It was ever esteemed no mean blessing to be well descended and though thy Fathers goodness shall avail thee little if thou beest not good yet it availeth much to make thee good Such a good Father had this worthy man by name Mr. Thomas Willet a grave Divine who in his younger time was Sub-Almoner unto that Reverend Prelate Dr. Cox Eleemosynary and Schoolmaster unto Edward VI. our Englands young Josiah of most blessed memory After whose death Dr. Cox being in Exile during the Reign of Queen Mary this Mr. Willet was not only deprived of his Service but enforced for his Conscience to forsake his first Promotion in the Church of Windsor and to betake himself to the House of a truly noble Gentleman who was a faithful Obadiah and hid him in those days of persecution But when Dr. Cox by Queen Elizabeth was advanced to the Bishoprick of Ely his antient Chaplain then repairs unto him is lovingly embraced and preferred to a Prebend in his Church And afterward when a Messenger told the good Bishop the Parson of Barley in Hartfordshire was dead the Bishop replied He is not dead And when the party avowed he was dead the Bishop again replies I tell you the Parson of Barley is not dead for there he sits pointing at Mr. Willet who was then sitting at the Table 3. The Rectory being thus added to his other means did now enable him to do works of Charity and as he had freely received so he freely gave He remembred that he had been the Dispenser of a Princes Alms and still retained a magnificent mind that way His Wife was as nobly minded and as free In her elder years when her Children were disposed of in the world her manner was to call her poor Neighbours in and feeding them to say Now again have I my Children about me Thus they laid up blessings for their seed were preserved upon an unexpected accident befalling a Proctor of their Colledge undertook his Office at the Commencement and being as Thucydides saith of Themistocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very dexterous and ready to perform any thing well upon the sudden his Orations were such as gained the approbation and applause if not the admiration of all his Auditors both their own and strangers who knew the straits of time wherein he was confined 7. After he had spent 13 years in that University his Father now grown old resigned his Prebend in the Church of Ely which by the Favour of Queen Elizabeth sede vacante was conferr'd upon him Hereupon he left his Fellowship and betook himself to the Society of a Wife of the Kindred of old Doctor Goad Provost of Kings Colledge In this estate God bless'd him with a numerous Issue 8. His manner was to arise early in the morning and to get half way on his Journey before others could get out he came down at the hour of Prayer taking his Family with him to Church after he was preferred to the Rectory of Barley upon the death of his Father there Service was publickly read either by himself or his Curate to the great comfort of his Parishioners before they went out to their daily Labours Prayers being ended he returns unto his task again until near dinner time then he would recreate himself a while either playing upon a little Organ or sporting with his young Children and sometimes he would use cleaving of Wood for exercise of his Body At his Table he was always pleasant to his Company telling some pretty Apothegme or Facete Tale and seasoning it with some profitable Application After dinner his custom was to refresh himself a little sometime sitting in Discourse sometime walking abroad and now and then taking some view of his Husbandry after which straightway to his better employments again till supper time so that commonly without extraordinary avocations he spent no less than eight hours a day in his Study 9. By which long continued course he had read the Fathers Councils Ecclesiastical Histories c. and published Books to the number of 33 besides nine more unprinted He hath much variety of matter in his larger sixfold Commentaries where he hath collected and judicially disposed those things which you have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scatteringly in many several Books and saving the Readers cost and pains hath molded up together the choicest flour of Commentaries old and new that appear upon those parts of the Scripture but his Synopsis Papismi carrieth away the prize before all other Writings wherewith Dr. Willet hath adorned our Church being now the fifth time and that by special Commendation from his Royal Majesty published Justly is he numbred by Bishop Hall sometime his Collegue in the Service of Prince Henry among those Worthies of the Church of England to whom he gives this Elogy Stupor mundi clerus Britannicus 10. Amidst all his pains of Writing and his other Studies he never omitted his usual exercise of Preaching In his younger time he read the Lecture for three years together in the Cathedral Church of Ely for one year in St. Pauls in both with singular Approbation of a most frequent Auditory Sometimes he preached in Cambridge both Ad Clerum and Ad Populum discovering himself to be the only man Quem rus non infuscavit whom the Country had not stained and therefore at his last Degree was chosen to answer in the Divinity Act. 11. This being over he returns to his people again daily teaching them and instructing them in a plain Familiar way applying himself to their capacity and