Catalogue 1. APOLOGIA CATHOLICA par 1. Lond. 1605. 4o. 3. This was the first-fruits of his great labours in writing which he dedicated to God and the Church under the patronage of that wise Prelate Richard Bancroft then L. Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 4. But before the second part of this laborious work could be fitted for the Press that horrid designe of the Gunpowder Treason occasioned another little Treatise which he dedicated to the Seduced Brethren and intituled 2. An exact discovery of Romish Doctrine in the case of CONSPIRACY and REBELLION or ROMISH POSITIONS and PRACTICES c. London 1605. 4o. 5. And yet not long after he published and dedicated to King James his Book intituled 3. APOLOGIA CATHOLICA Par. 2. Lond. 1606. 4o. 6. The forementioned Book intituled Romish Positions c. did not a little gall those that were concerned in it in so much as a nameless Author was provoked by it to return a Moderate answer to it as he styled it Whereunto this Learned Author presently returned a Reply which he dedicated to King James The subject whereof was concerning the Rebellion and Equivocation of the Romish Priests and Jesuits and the Title 4. A full SATISFACTION concerning a double Romish Iniquity c. Lond. 1606. 4o. 7. And here steps in Mr. Parsons the Jesuit upon the stage under the mask of P. R. to vindicate his dear friend the Moderate Answerer in his two Positions of Rebellion and Equivocation by a Book which he wrote and called A Treatise of Mitigation But he having a very dexterous wit very handsomely skipped over the former Position that of Rebellion and betook himself to vindicate their other Practice of Equivocation I will say nothing of his Blasphemie in attributing Equivocation to our B. Saviour himself because I have heard he afterward repented of it All that concerns my present purpose is that this Learned Author returned a very acute Answer to him which he dedicated to Robert Earl of Salisbury and intituled 5. A PREAMBLE unto an INCOUNTER with P. R. the Author of the deceitful Treatise of MITIGATION Lond. 1608. 4o. 8. Against which Book and some others written by this Learned Author Mr. Parsons having made a reply under the title of A sober Reckoning c. he was answered in a Book dedicated to Prince Henry and intituled 6. THE ENCOUNTER against Mr. Parsons Lond. 1609. 4o. 9. But while this Book was in Writing and Printing before it could come forth one of the Champions died and so the combate fell to the ground 10. During all these skirmishes with so nimble an Adversary as Mr. Parsons this Learned Author was not afraid to engage himself in a much hotter battel against a whole Army of Apologists led out into the Field under the conduct of Mr. Roger Brereley Parque novum fortuna videt concurrere bellum Atque Virum Only this encouragement he found that as his great friend Arch-Bishop Bancroft put him upon the work so Doctor James took the pains to examine some of his Quotations in the University Library of Oxford This Answer to the Protestants Apology was dedicated to King James and intituled 7. The CATHOLICK APPEAL for Protestants c. Lond. 1609. fol. 11. This learned and laborious work gave such a deadly blow to his Romish Adversaries as none of them hitherto and yet it is above 50. years since it was written have ever been so hardy as to attempt any Answer to it And therefore it is no wonder if we finde this learned writer so much retired for some years after prosecuting the private course of his own positive studies excepting only that at the very same time he wrote another little Book which he intituled 8. An Answer to the Scandalous Exceptions of THEOPHILUS HIGGONS Lond. 1609. 4o. 12. The next Controversie he had was with some Adversaries of the contrary Principles the Non-conformists of his own Diocess while he was Bishop of Chester whereof one Mr. Hynd was the ring leader whom he first laboured to convince by a Conference but finding them very perverse and obstinate as that is too usually their temper he wrote a very excellent Book by way of a Relation of that Conference concerning the use of the Surplice Cross after Baptisme and Kneeling at the receiving of the B. Sacrament which he dedicated to the Marquis of Buckingham and intituled 9. A Defence of the INNOCENCY of the three CEREMONIES of the Church of England c. Lond. 1619. 4o. 13. This Book though it was very strongly fortified with many excellent Arguments was nevertheless impugned by a nameless Author generally supposed to be Mr. Ames which occasioned a very acute defence of it written by Dr. John Burges of Sutton-Coldfeild in Warwick-shire by the Kings Command and printed in the year 1631. 14. And now this trouble being taken off his hand and committed to the management of such an accurate pen this Reverend Author betook himself again to his former studies in his former way of controversie with his Adversaries of the Church of Rome And the first Champion he singled out was no less then their Achilles Cardinal Bellarmine and the subject of the Controversie no meaner then that of the Authority and Dignity of Kings and the Person that put him upon the work no worse then the most learned of Kings which infused so much generous spirit into him as he performed the work so excellently that the Book hath not in 40. years found any so hardy as to Answer it and which is more that King James appointed it to be read to his Son our late most incomparable Soveraign to whom it was dedicated while he was Prince of Wales It was written against that Book of of Cardinal Bellarmine which he inscribed De officio Principis Christiani intituled 10. CAUSA REGIA Lond. 1620. 4o. 15. The next Book he published he dedicated to the same Gracious Prince then newly advanced to the Crown upon the death of his Father of happy memory The subject of it was whether the Roman Church be the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church the Mother and Mistress of all Churches out of which there is no salvation which he proves at large in the Negative The Title of it is 11. The GRAND IMPOSTURE of the now Church of Rome c. The second Edition enlarged was printed at London 1628. 4o. 16. And here it will be necessary to advertise the Reader that there is an Answer written against this Book by a nameless Author or Authors under the mask of J.S. which he calleth Anti-Mortonus whereunto as yet no reply is published though there was one prepared for the Press within a year after the Adversaries Book first came to this Authors knowledge Whereof the reason is this the designe of the reply being thus largely laid First to re-print the Book it self and then after every section excepted against the exceptions of J. S. and last of all this Authors reply to those exceptions the Book hereby grew so
voluminous as no Bookseller durst adventure the charge of Printing it especially in such a dismal age of the Church as hath been of late wherein those that desired to read such Books had not money to buy them being sequestred and stripped of all their estates and those that succeed in their Benefices have generally no affections to such studies being led in this as in most other things by their own interest which directs them only to such studies as may qualifie them for the Pulpit This is a sad truth which the Adversaries know well enough to be so have not a little contributed unto it and I hope this will satisfie every moderate and indifferent man that it was the infelicity not the negligence of this learned and laborious Author that he should thus be necessitated to dye in debt to his Adversaries 17. It was some years after before his next work came forth and well might be so considering how large and laborious it was And yet it was re-printed with Additions in the year 1635. This Book he dedicated to all learned men especially of the two Universities Cambridge and Oxford and entituled 12. Of the INSTITUTION of the SACRAMENT c. by some called the MASSE c. Lond. 1635. fol. 18. But before this second Edition saw the light there were some strictures written upon the former by a Romish Author under the name of an English Baron which occasioned this Author to write another little Book which he dedicated to the Lord Ar. Baron intituled 13. A DISCHARGE of five Imputations of MIS-ALLEGATIONS Lond. 1633. 8o. 19. The next Book he wrote was not against any particular adversary but yet upon a particular subject which he thought was too generally mistaken at lest if not abused He dedicated it as his Book of the Masse to both the Universities and other learned men intituling it 14. ANTIDOTUM adversus Ecclesiae Romanae de MERITO EX CONDIGNO venenum Cantabrig 1637. 4o. 20. But here steps in a particular Adversary and that a person of eminent note and learning if by C. R. we are to understand the Bishop of Chalcedon And though his Book contained not much when it appeared it had been or might have been very long in contriving being written against the first Book that ever this Author published the former volume of his Catholick Apologie which he had printed above as he saith 32. but I believe it is the mistake of the Amanuensis or Printer for two and forty years before viz. in the year 1605. This Book occasioned a brief Velitation from this Author in defense of his former work for he thought it deserved no more which he dedicated to all Scholars of the English Seminaries beyond Sea and intituled 15. REPLICA five Refutatio Confutationis C. R. c. Lond. 1638. 4o. 21. Having thus wiped off this great Adversary he betook himself to a review of his Book concerning the Masse which he altered so far both for Matter and Method as well as Language as it may justly challenge a peculiar place among his works It was dedicated to King Charles the first and intituled 16. DE EUCHARISTIA Controversiae Decisio Cantabrig 1640. 4o. 22. But before this came forth he had an occasion to Preach before the King at Newcastle May 5. 1639. which he performed so well that he was commanded to print his Sermon The Text was Rom. 13.1 17. Let every soul be subject c. Lond. 1639. 4o. 23. About two years after he was sollicited to preach at the Spittle in London April 26. 18. A Sermon on the Resurrection Lond. 1641. 8o. 24. The next year after viz. Jun. 19. 1642. upon the like sollicitation he preached at St. Pauls that excellent Sermon upon I Cor. 11.16 But if any man seem to be contentious c. since printed and entituled 19. The presentment of a SCHISMATICK Lond. 1642. 4o. 29. His next Book that was printed came forth both without his name to it and knowledge of it thought not without his full consent to it ex post facto and that testified in an Authentick manner in the Codicil annexed to his Will It was written in defense of Episcopal government and sent to the late Reverend and learned Primate of Ireland who committed it to the Press with some other excellent collections of his own upon the same subject the title of it is 20. CONFESSIONS and PROOFS of Protestant Divines c. Oxford 1644. 4o. 26. I come now to the last Book he lived to publish the subject whereof was his Meditations upon Gods providence a very fit study for his declining years in these sad times during his solitude and retirement being a thing both comfortable to himself and profitable to others the title of it is 21. EZEKIELS WHEELS c. Lond. 1653. 8o. 26. Having been thus large I wish I could not say tedious in a bare narrative of what Books he hath left in Print I shall not wrong either the Author or Reader so far as to continue this discourse any longer upon my weak commendations of them My only advice shall be in the words of my great Master COME and SEE 27. And yet beside these already Printed there are a considerable number in Manuscript some in my custody which I found by him at his Death and some that I hear of in the hands of others all of them once intended for the Press whereof some have lost their first perfection by the carelesness and negligence of some that should have kept them others want his last hand and eye to perfect them and others only a seasonable time to publish them And he might and would have left many more considering how vigorous his parts were even in his extream old Age if the iniquity of the Times had not deprived him of most of his Notes and Papers 28. There were in his own hands at his Death and they are still in mine Anciently Written M. S. 1. Tractatus DE EXTERNO JVDICE INFALLIBILI ad Doctores Pontificios inprimis vero ad Sacerdotes Wisbicenses 2. Tractatus DE JUSTIFICATIONE Two Copies but both imperfect 3. Some Papers written upon the Controversie between Bishop MONTAGVE and the GAGGER Imperfect 4. A Latine Edition of his Book called the GRAND IMPOSTVRE Imperfect 5. Another Edition of both the parts of his Book called APOLOGIA CATHOLICA 29. Books lately Written M. S. 6. The above mentioned ANSWER to I. S. his ANTIMORTONUS Imperfect 7. The above mentioned Treatise concerning EPISCOPACY revised and enlarged 8. A Treatise concerning PRAYER in an VNKNOWN TONGUE 9. A Defence of INFANTS BAPTISM against Mr. Tombes and others 10. Several SERMONS 30. But I must be so just to the Reader as to give him this Advertisement concerning these two last Books First that his Sermons are not yet perused so that I know not yet whether any of them will be thought fit for the Press And secondly that he himself had laid aside his thoughts of
Church of ours of what party soever especially those in the Roman Communion And the manner of his writing brings him very pertinently under the first branch of my Text in two several respects For first his custome was to disarm the enemy where possibly it might be done and turn their own cannon upon them by making use of their own confessions against themselves and secondly the word fighting was in a manner peculiar to him above all other polemical divines that I have seen in that his arguments which he bringeth to establish his own cause are most commonly concluded with a challenge to his Adversaries While he was thus engaged against a puissant enemy in the front a peevish enemy from an ambuscado charged him and the rest of his Reverend Brethren and fellow Champions in the Rear I cannot but say he foresaw him because it is clear he endeavoured to prevent his design in his Book of the three Innocent Ceremonies printed above forty years agoe but yet I cannot deny but if all of us had buckled our selves more vigorously against him before the Cockatrice egge brake out into such a dangerous serpent the other Adversary had never got half the advantage against us which now he hath by making use of these as his Auxiliaries and Instruments For whatsoever they may outwardly pretend they cannot better be resembled to any thing then Samsons Foxes tyed by the tails with fire-brands between them though hitherto they look several wayes they agree well enough to burn up all the good wheat in this field of our poor afflicted Church How careful this our Champion was to suppress this Monster before it was perfectly fledged will appear by two Excellent Sermons of his now in print the one preached with great applause at Newcastle on Rom. 13.1 before it had got the wing over Tweed and the other with no less since that time in St. Pauls Church in London on 1 Cor. 11.16 In the former whereof he teacheth the duty of subjects towards their undoubted Soveraign and in the latter the duty of all Christians towards their lawful Superiours in the Church the want of which two duties hath opened those two great sluces of Sedition and Schisme which then began to flow in upon us and since that time have almost utterly drowned us It is the part of a good souldier when he findes his first designe not like to take the effect he desireth to have another in reserve and our Champion was not wanting in this neither for when the Pulpit was shut against him he put on a stronger resolution to supply that in private with his Pen which he was not suffered to perform in publick with his tongue And to this we owe that little Treatise of his though printed without his name intituled Confessions and Proofs c. which he compiled from the suffrages of the most learned Protestants of forraign Reformed Churches in defence of the sacred order of Bishops and which he hath since enlarged and fitted for a second Impression I wish I could say the like for two other litle Treatises which were designed by him but not brought to perfection the one in defence of Infants Baptisme the other against the poysonous doctrine of the Antinomians His Printed Books are so well known to the world as I need not speak of them and therefore I have brought these instances out of his papers that I may tell you something more then the world knowes of him All that I shall need to adde is that while he was engaged in these conflicts he was again alarm'd by a nameless Romish Adversary with a mask of J. S. before his face and the title of Anti-Mortonus before his Book whereunto he had prepared a full and large Answer about a dozen years ago though since that time by some misadventure or other I finde those papers have lost much of their former perfection In these quarrels was he engaged and charged thus by several adversaries both in the front and rear for very many years after his age had exceeded holy Davids span even for a good many years after it was past fourescore when in the Holy dialect our strength is nothing but labour and sorrow insomuch as excepting one litle Treatise of Gods providence in his Meditations upon the vision of Ezekiels wheeles we may say he dyed in the field though he was not vanquished Mori potuit succumbere non potuit That saying of Vespasian oportet imperatorem stantem mori may very properly be accommodated to this our Champion who fought a good fight and kept the faith till he had finished his course here upon Earth All this while I have instanced only in those conflicts which he undertook in matters of Doctrine but to make up a compleat Christian souldier there will be requisite some perfection of manners as well as integrity of faith but much more to make up a good Bishop And this appeared in him very conspicuously through the whole course of his life and will bring in the second Act of St. Paul mentioned here in my Text. 2. I have finished my course upon which words I might have just occasion to speak of the whole course of his life during the whole time of his pilgrimage here upon earth but only that it is a task much too large either for my time or your patience It might perhaps be some satisfaction to your curiosity but little advantage to your edification to tell you either the place of his birth or of his education or of his several offices and dignities in the Church but to tell you how much he adorned the place of his birth and how much he profited under those from whom he had his education and how well he discharged himself in those several places and offices he sustained in the Church this may and will be much more useful to us And these three have such immediate dependence one upon another that I need but speak of one of them for all For the good discharge of his offices in the Church declareth how much he profited by his good education and both of these together will make a new addition of honour to the place of his Birth the City of YORK though that hath been very famous for many generations I do not now speak of his great learning whereof I have given you so many instances already but of his singular piety and exquisite carriage in matters of Morality which he expressed in a grave virtuous and Christian conversation attended with much sweetness and affability all his life long And in this he was so eminent that none of his greatest Adversaries and many great ones he hath had could ever affix any reproach upon him for any defect in this particular though their eyes were sharp enough to pry into his actions and their mouthes wide enough to censure them if it had been in the power of malice to have done it To say he had no
Church And for his qualifying thereunto he did not as is now too frequent run before he was duly called and sent but according to the method of holy Church was admitted to the sacred order first of Deacon in the same year 1592. and the next year after of Priesthood by Richard Howland then Lord Bishop of Peterburgh who had formerly been Master of the same College whereof he then was Fellow 12. Having thus received his commission from God and his Church he was very ready to assist others in the way of Charity but not too forward to take upon himself a particular cure of soules And accordingly we find him for about five yeares after this continuing in the College prosecuting his own privat studie and reading to such young Scholars as were committed to his care and Tuition 13. In the year 1598. Dr. Iegon Master of Corpus Christi College being Vicechancellor and Mr. Moon of Katherin Hall and Mr. Sutton of Kings College Proctors he took his Degree of Bachellor in Divinity And about the same year being presented instituted and inducted to the Rectory of Long Marston foure miles distant from his Native Citty of York he betook himself wholly to the Cure of Soules there committed to him which he discharged with great care and diligence And yet he did not intermit his higher studies for the generall good of the Church while he attended it And to that end he had alwayes some person to be his assistent whom he knew to be pious and learned as Mr. John Price and Mr. Matthew Levet who were both formerly his Pupills in Cambridge the former afterward a prebendary of Leichfeild the later of Duresme and also Subdean of Rippon 14. And this assistence was the more necessary because his great parts and worth would not suffer him to enjoy his privacy in a Country cure For first he was made choyce of by the Earle of Huntington then Lord President of the North to be his Chaplain for his dexterity and accuteness in disputing with the Romish Recusants For it was Queen Elizabeths express command to him to convince them by arguments rather then suppress them by force and this she expressed as his Lord-ship was wont to say in the words of the Prophet Nolo mortem peccatoris 15. But the Earle dying presently after he returned again to his privacy at Marston where he continued not long before the Lord Sheffeild who succeeded as Lord president commanded him to hold a publick Conference before his Lord-ship and the Councell at the Manner house in York with two Romish Recusants who were then prisoners in the Castle the one was Mr. Young a Priest the other Mr. Stillington a Lay-man Which he performed with great satisfaction to the Auditory among whom were many of the chief Gentry and Clergy of York-shire I have heard there is still in some mens hands a true relation of that conferrence in writing But he would never suffer it to be Printed because he and his Adversaries engaged themselves by mutuall promise not to Print it but by common consent which he never could obtain from them though he earnestly desired and sought it 16. In the year 1602. began the great Plague at York at which time he carryed himself with so much heroicall charity as will make the Reader wonder to hear it For the poorer sort being removed to the Pest-house he made it his frequent exercise to visit them with food both for their bodys and soules His chief errand was to instruct and comfort them and pray for them and with them and to make his coming the more acceptable he carried usually a sack of provision with him for those that wanted it And because he would have no man to run any hazard thereby but himself he seldom suffered any of his servants to come near him but sadled and unsadled his own Horse and had a private door made on purpose into his house and chamber 17. The next year following the Lord Ever being sent Embassadour extraordinary by Queen Elizabeth both to the Emperour of Germany and King of Denmark he made choyce of him and Mr. Richard Crakanthorp famous also for his learned works in Print to be his Chaplaines And Mr. Morton being desirous to improve himself by seeing forraigne Kingdomes Churches and Universities did willingly accept of the employment 18. He had leave from the Lord Embassadour while he stayed at Breme to visit some of the chief Cityes and Universityes of High Germany In which travell while he was at Mentz he fell into a very familiar acquaintance with Father Mulhusinus a learned Jesuit who gave him a Book of his own writing inscribed with his own hand pro Domino Mortono and also with Nicholas Serarius another learned Father of the same Society and Rector of the College there who afterward mentioned him with civility in a Book he wrot against Joseph Scaliger Both these were so well satisfied with his learning and piety as to treat him with much courtesy while he stayed there and to desire his prayers when he departed thence and that ex animo too when he pressed them to know whether it was not merely out of civility and complement I cannot say he found Beccanus in the contrary temper at Colen though he left him so For being gaulled with some Arguments in a disputation between them he sleighted his prayers as of one whom he miscalled an Heretick I only instance in this to shew that many learned men of the Church of Rome and some even of the Jesuits order do not in their hearts and privat discourses condemne us of the Church of England for Hereticks whatsoever ever they publickly write or speak out of designe and policy 19. His stay in these parts was the shorter because the Embassadours commission determined at the death of the Queen But however he improved his time so well partly in furnishing his own library with Bookes at Frankfurt and else-where but chiefly in his conversation with learned men and in his forraign observations that he alwayes very highly valued that oppertunity 20. At his return he was sollicited by Roger Earle of Rutland to be his domesticall Chaplain Which profer he was the more willing to accept for the privacy he hoped to enjoy in a place where he was not known for making use of that Treasure of Bookes he had got in his travells And the rather because thereby he was brought so much nearer to London then before whither he must have many occasions to travell for the putting forth of such Bookes as he had in designe to write For it was not long after that he Printed the first part of his Apologia Catholica of which and the rest of his works I shall speak more particularly hereafter 21. About this time it was that the Arch-Bishop of York Toby Matthews that most exquisit preacher conferred upon him a Prebend in that Metropoliticall Church 22. In the year of our Lord 1606. Dr. Clayton
Master of St. Johns College being then Vicechancellor and Mr. Raven of Kings College and Mr. Gent of Corpus Christi College Proctours he took the Degree of Doctour in Divinity with much applause of those that heard him perform his Acts and exercises and great approbation of both the professors in Divinity Dr. John Overall that profound Scholler and Dr. Thomas Playfer that accute disputant and accurate preacher who were both of them very competent Judges of mens abilities And there began that intimate acquaintance he had with the said Dr. Overall afterwards Dean of St. Paules Bishop of Leichfeild and Coventry and lastly of Norwich which continued between them till it was dissolved by death 23. About the same time he was sworn Chaplain in Ordinary to King James and by him presented to the Deanary of Glocester the same year 1606. And while he was Dean there the Lord Ever above mentioned then Lord President of Wales assumed him for one of his Majesties Counsell for the Marches 24. In his first journey to Glocester he went by Oxford at the Act-time and was there incorporated and admitted to the same degree he had in Cambridge At which time he fell into acquaintance with that reverend person and famous preacher Dr. John King then Dean of Christ-Church and afterwards Bishop of London which afterward grew so intimate that the said Bishop made choyce of him to performe the last offices to him both at his Death and Buriall 25. The same occasion gave him also the oppertunity of being acquainted with Dr. Raynolds president of Corpus Christi College Dr. Ayrey provost of Queens College and many other eminent persons in that University And among others with Daniel Featley afterwards Dr. in Divinity who that year proceeded Master of Arts and performed his exercises with such applause as made Dr. Morton carry a great friendship towards him ever after which was answered with a proportionable reverence on the other side which he publickly testified in the Epistle before a Book which he dedicated to him when he was Bishop of Duresme And the like respect hath been shewed to him by other learned men And in particular by the late reverend Bishop of Norwich who dedicated to him that little but most excellent Book called PAX TERRIS 26. He continued not full three years Dean of Glocester till King James removed him to the Deanary of Winchester viz. in the year 1609. Where he succeeded Dr. George Abbot then consecrated Bishop of Leichfeild and Coventry and afterward translated to the Arch-Bishoprick of Canterbury And while he was Dean there Dr. Thomas Bilson then Bishop of Winchester conferred on him the Rectory of Alesford 27. At Winchester he fell into an intimate acquaintance with that pious and learned man Dr. Arthur Lake then Master of St. Cross afterward Bishop of Bath and Welles as also with Dr. John Harmar warden of Winchester College and other learned men whose friendship he very much valued And at the same time also Sibrandus Lubbertus professour of Divinity in the University of Franeker in West Freisland wrot his answer to the 99. errours of Conradus Vorstius which he dedicated to him by the title of Dean of Winchester 28. In the year 1610. being the seaventh year of King James was held a Parliament And at the same time as the manner is a Convocation of the Clergy of the province of Canterbury at St. Paules Church in London where with generall applause he preached the Sermon ad clerum upon St. Mat. 5 13. Vos estis sal terrae And should have been the prolocutour to the lower house of Convocation but that in modesty he declined it and the rather to make way for a friend of his whom he rather desired might have that office 29. Upon these and the like publick imployments was he constrained to be much in London about this time And when any business brought him thither he was importuned by his worthy friend Dr. Overall above mentioned Dean of St. Paules to take his lodging in the Deanary house And this gave him the oppertunity of a very early acquaintance with that very learned and judicious Scholar Monsieur Isaac Casaubon who being then newly come out of France was likewise as his great merits required very freely and hospitably entertained and lodged there by the said Dean 30. And this love thus begun between these two learned persons was never intermited in their lives nor obliterated by death as appeares by the Monument set up in the Abbey Church of St. Peters at Westminster for Monsieur Casaubon he being buried their at the charge of this reverend Bishop The inscription whereof was composed by that excellent Poet and Scholar Dr. Thomas Goad Rector of Hadley in Suffolk 31. Upon the like occasions and about the same time he had the opportunity of entering into a very good acquaintance with severall other eminent forraign Scholars and Divines As namely Abraham Scultetus professour of divinity in the University of Heidlebergh and Aulicus Concionator to his Highness Frederick Prince Electour palatine John Diodati professour of divinity at Geneva a very learned and judicious Divine Peter du Molin the famous preacher at Charington and severall others whose worth is very well known by their learned works in Print 32. His continuance in the Deanary of Winchester was not so long as he desired and yet when he was to be removed from it and to be consecrated Bishop of Chester there was a rub cast in his way by a certain great person Not out of any favour or respct to him but the quite contrary It was by one that had reason to know the revenues of that Church so well as to think he might be believed upon his word when he said in some passion to the King that Dr. Morton had spoiled one of the best Deanaries in England 33. And this blow had been received as a precious balme if it had not broke the head of his reputation and of the truth together because he was really as unwilling to take the heavy office of a Bishop upon him as the other was loath he should enjoy the honour But however as the case stood it concerned the Dean to vindicate his good name from that foull and unjust aspersion And therefore acquainting his brethren of the Chapter with it they were very forward to give and he not backward to receive a Testimoniall from them under their hands and sealls that he had been one of the best Deans that ever had been at Winchester in their times and yet some of them were very antient men and had long enjoyed their prebends in that Church 34. On the other side there wanted not some potent persons in the Court who pressed hard upon the King to have him Consecrated Bishop only in favour of his successors in that Deanary Which made him bemoan himself in a Letter to an intimate friend wherein he complained of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he called it
Deed another of the same Tenour written in Paper which he signed with his Manual Seal in the presence also of the same witnesses All this I heard saw and therefore know to be done In testimony whereof I have subscribed and thereto put my usual and accustomed Notaries signe Tob. Holder 99. To this Protestation were annexed these three following Attestations from the Bishops Temporal Lords and Clerks The Attestation of the Bishops WHereas we the surviving Bishops of the Church of England who sate in the Parliament begun at Westminster the third day of November 1640. are requested by our Reverend Brother the Lord Bishop of Duresme to declare and attest the truth concerning an Imputation cast upon him in the Pamphlet of that nameless Author mentioned in his Protestation and Declaration here prefixed and whereas we are obliged to perform what he requesteth both for the justification of the truth and for the clearing of our selves of another slanderous aspersion which the same Author casteth upon us as if we had heard our said Reverend Brother make such a speech as is there pretended and by our silence had approved what that Libeller falsely affirmeth was delivered in it we do hereby solemnly Protest and Declare before God and all the world that we never knew of any such Book presented to the House of Peers as he there pretendeth nor believe any such was ever presented and therefore could never hear any such Speech made against it as he mentioneth by our said Reverend Brother or any other much less approve of it by our silence And if any such Book had been presented or any such Speech had been made there is none among us so ignorant or negligent in his duty in defending the truth but would have been both able and ready to have confuted so groundless a Fable as the pretended Consecration of Bishops at the Nags-head out of the Authentick and known Registers of the Church still extant mentioned and faithfully transcribed and published by Mr. Mason so long before For the Confirmation of which Truth and Attestation of what our said Reverend Brother hath herewith Protested and Declared we have hereunto set our hands dated the nineteenth day of July Anno Dom. 1658. Guil. London Will. Bath and Wells Ma. Elie. Ro. Oxon. Jo. Roffens Br. Sarum The Attestation of the Lords Temporal 100. WE of the Lords Temporal whose names are he under written who sate in the Parliament begun at Westminster the third day of November 1640. being desired by the Bishop of Duresme to testifie our knowledge concerning an Imputation cast upon him about a Speech pretended to be made by him in that Parliament more particularly mentioned and disavowed in his prefixed Protestation do hereby Testifie and Declare that to the best of our knowledge and remembrance no such Book against Bishops as is there mentioned was presented to the House of Peers in that Parliament and consequently that no such Speech as is there pretended was or could be made by him or any other against it In witness whereof we have signed this our Attestation with our own hands Dated the nineteenth day of July Anno Dom. 1658. Hertford Dorchester Lindsey Rutland T. Southamton T. Lyncoln W. Devonshire E. Manchester Berkshire Cleveland Monmouth Hen. Dover M. Newport F. Willughbye J. Lovelace The Attestation of the Clerks of the House 101. WE whose names are hereunto subscribed being Clerks in the Honourable House of Peers during the Parliament begun at Westminster the third day of November 1640. who according to our several places and Offices did give continual attendance in the said House and as our duty required did respectively and particularly observe whatsoever was debated and concluded in it do hereby Testifie and Declare that to the best of our knowledge and remembrance no such Book was presented to that honourabe House nor any such Speech made in it by the Reverend Bishop of Duresme or any other as are mentioned and disavowed in his Lordships Protestation and Declaration here prefixed And therefore we have freely voluntarily given this our Attestation for the Confirmation of the Truth of what is affirmed and declared by the said Bishop in his said Protestation In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands Dated the twenty seventh day of December Anno Domini 1658. Jo. Browne Cleric Parliamentorum Jo. Throckmorton Sam. Smith 102. This is so full a vindication of this Reverend Bishop from this foul aspersion and so clear and honourable an Attestation to the cause of the Church of England in point of Succession that I cannot see what more needs be added to it excepting only this ensuing Certificate out of the Journal of the House of Peers which I must ascribe to the great pains and civility of Mr. Scobel who after a long and diligent search wrote these following words over against the place where the objection is made Page 9. in the Margine of the Book which I have in my custody Upon search made in the Book of the Lords House I do not finde any such Book presented nor any entry of any such Speech made by Bishop Morton Hen. Scobell Clerk of the Parliament 103. And now I speak it unfainedly I know not what N.N. can reply to all these clear Testimonies either in truth or modesty but only by confessing his error If all these persons of Honour and ingenuity after such a solemn charge laid upon them by this pious Bishop to speak nothing but the truth in sincerity must be thought to conspire together in a Lye rather then his Ancient Peer shall incur the suspicion of being mistaken yet the Authentick Record of the proceedings in the Lords House will sufficiently justifie them against that Calumnie Or if on the other side the journal of the House shall be condemned by N.N. either as imperfect or obliterated in this particular yet the Readers even of the Romish perswasion will be satisfied as many of them as will be satisfied with reason that this is a poor and groundless shift when they shall seriously consider these concurrent testimonies of so many persons of all ranks and orders that are most likely both to know the truth and remember it But both of these concurring together will make it as clear as the sun at noon-day that either N. N. or his Ancient Peer is mistaken 104. And hence I conceive it is that N. N. as I here in a late reply which I have not yet seen to the above-mentioned Book of the learned Bishop of Derrie hath not the confidence to deny the truth of what is both there and here testified but only betakes himself to the last reserve of a bad cause downright railing venting all the malice he can upon the innocent Ashes of this deceased Bishop Wherein I shall not gratifie him so much as to make even that return which Michael the Archangel did to him that suggested this Topick to him but rather that which better becomes a Christian and was
Printing his Treatise of Poedo-Baptism upon a Letter which he received from the late Reverend Bishop of Exeter to whom he had committed the perusal of those Papers the reason I shall set down in the very words of the Letter which I have still in my hand 31. I profess my Lord it rejoyces me to see your wonted Genius so lively acting in this Masculine Childe of your old age but I crave this leave of your Lordship to express my thoughts that having perused your Papers twice over and with them both Mr. Tombes and his Adversaries Rejoynder to him I find the cause is carried farther by these mens Altercations then could be foreseen when you wrote this Confutation And thereupon he adviseth him to supersede the publishing of it though otherwise he saith it might have justly claimed the birthright before the other disputes c. 32. Beside these M. S. Books which I have in custody I hear of some others in other mens hands viz. 11. A Relation of the CONFERENCE above mentioned held at YORK by him with Mr. Young and Mr. Stillington 12. A further Confutation of R. G. in Defence of the Articles of the Church of England 33. These are all I hear of in particular for the present What other things of his there may be I know not only I understand by a letter from his old servant and Secretary Mr. Richard Baddeley that he hath some things of his in writing which he thinks may be fit for the Press but whether some of these already named I know not There have been so many things of late obtruded upon the world under the name of Authors of great fame and reputation that I must once for all give the Reader this Caution that in case any thing shall hereafter be Printed in the name of this learned Author it may not be reputed his unless it have my approbation of it 34. I have almost wearied my Reader with a bare Catalogue of his Works what then would it be to read them all But especially what was it for him to write them For what Possidius saith of S. Augustine in this case may very well be applied to this learned Bishop for a Conclusion to this Chapter Tot tanta eruditionis ingenii sui edidit Monumenta ut vix Cuncta a studiosissimo quolibet volvi cognosci queant Legenda Scripsit Scribenda fecit CHAP. III. A short Character of his Person and Qualities 1. I Am not ignorant how hard a task this third and last part of my undertaking would be if I should be operose in it for the same reason that none was thought so fit to write Caesars Commentaries as Caesar himself But this is a thing may the more lightly be passed over both because he hath been a burning and shining Light upon so eminent a Candlestick for so many years as renders him very well known to most men and because I had not only his permission but Command to write what now I do on purpose to prevent the over lavish expressions by way of Panegyrick which he feared and forbad from another hand which will obliged me both to moderation and brevity in what I shall speak of him and last of all because I have upon another occasion made some Essay towards this work already which the reader will find here prefixed 2. At that time the Text which confined my discourse led me wholly to make it appear how well he had studied and how diligently he had practised the example of S. Paul and therefore it would be superfluous in me now to enter upon any large discourse to shew what a Paraphrase his life was upon 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. vers 6 c. and how perfectly his Episcopal Qualifications answered those Rules which that great Apostle there prescribeth as the Standard or Touch-stone whereby every Bishop ought to be tryed and examined For the greater will presuppose the lesser a fortiore and therefore he that had made the Apostles Life the rule of his own may well be presumed to have taken out those inferiour lessons which are indispensably required in every Bishop 3. And yet because I must of necessity use some Method in what I have to say and cannot have a better then what is there laid down by this Great Apostle and was taken notice of by S. Gregory Nazianzen in the like case though I will not enlarge my Discourse to a Commentary upon the place I shall use the particulars of that Text especially the chief of them for the heads of my discourse though not in the same method and order And when I have thus weighed him in the ballance and by the shekel of the Sanctuary and found him full weight I shall add a word or two concerning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Superpondium For as the former will shew he wanted nothing that is indispensably required in a Bishop so will the later that he had superadded so much to it as we may list him justly in the rank of very good Bishops And I shall make out all this as near as I can by particular instances that neither his enemies may complain that I flatter his memory nor his friends that I obtrude my own fancies and conjectures upon the world in stead of reall Truths 4. For the first Qualification I shall have no occasion to give offence to any because it is Negatively set down A Bishop must be blameless So that whosoever shall accuse him upon this first branch is bound by the Law of Nature to make his charge good against him and if we take in likewise the Custome of the Romans that the person accused shall have the Accusers face to face and licenee to Answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him I shall still have the less cause to be sollicitous in this business For there is nothing in his Writings whereof he hath been accused wherein he hath not cleared himself in the judgment of the impartial Reader and if there be any new Charge to be laid against him the only competent Tribunal will be that of the Righteous Judge of all the earth at the General Assizes of the World where alone the parties may appear face to face And as for his Life he was in that by the tacit consent of his greatest Enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irreprehensible or even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine crimine if we take the word Crime in the proper sense not for sin for no man is without that but for such scandalous sins as make a man justly lyable to Accusation and Infamy in which sense multi sine crimine sunt as St. Augustine tells us and in that rank I doubt not but we may reckon this good Bishop 5. For he had improved this Qualification to so high a pitch as to make it also take in another and make him have a good report of them which are without