Alen or learned Doctor Stapleton both English men and in Italy when Mr. Hookers four Books were first printed meeting with this general fame of them were desirous to read an Author that both the Rerformed and the Learned of their own Church did so much magnifie and therefore caused them to be sent for and after reading them boasted to the Pope which then was Clement the eight that though he had lately said he never met with an English Book whose Writer deserved the name of an Author yet there now appear'd a wonder to them and it would be so to his Holiness if it were in Latin for a poor obscure English Priest had writ four such Books of Laws and Church Polity and in a Style that exprest so Grave and such Humble Majesty with clear demonstration of Reason that in all their readings they had not met with any that exceeded him and this begot in the Pope an earnest desire that Doctor Stapleton should bring the said four Books and looking on the English read a part of them to him in Latin which Doctor Stapleton did to the end of the first Book at the conclusion of which the Pope spake to this purpose there is no Learning that this man hath not searcht into nothing too hard for his understanding This man indeed deserves the name of an Author his books will get reverence by Age for there is in them such seeds of Eternity that if the rest be like this they shall last till the last Fire shall consume all Learning Nor was this high the only testimony and commendations given to his Books for at the first coming of King Iames into this Kingdom he inquired of the Archbishop Whitegift for his friend Mr. Hooker that writ the Books of Church Polity to which the answer was that he dyed a year before Queen Elizabeth who received the sad news of his Death with very much Sorow to which the King replyed and I receive it with no less that I shall want the desired happinesse of seeing and discoursing with that man from whose Books I have received such satisfaction Indeed my Lord I have received more satisfaction in reading a Leaf or Paragraph in Mr. Hooker though it were but about the fashion of Churches or Church Musick or the like but especially of the Sacraments than I have had in the reading particular large Treatises written but of one of those subjects by others though very Learned men and I observe there is in Mr. Hooker no affected Language but a comprehensive deer manifestation of Reason and that back't with the Authority of the Scripture the Fathers and Schoolmen and with all Law both Sacred and Civil And though many others write well yet in the next age they will be forgotten but doubtless there is in every page of Mr. Hookers Book the picture of a Divine Soul such Pictures of Truth and Reason and drawn in so sacred colours that they shall never fade but give an immortal memory to the Author And it is so truly true that he thought what he spake that as the most Learned of the Nation have and still do mention Mr. Hooker with reverence so he also did never mention him but with the Epithite of Learned or Iudicious or Reverend or Venerable Mr. Hooker Nor did his Son our late King Charles the first ever mention him but with the same reverence enjoyning his Son our now gracious King to be studious in Mr. Hookers Books And our learned Antiquary Mr. Cambden mentioning the Death the modesty and other vertues of Mr. Hooker and magnifying his Books wisht that for the honour of this and benefit of other Nations they were turn'd into the Universal Language Which work though undertaken by many yet they have been weary and forsaken it but the Reader may now expect it having been long since begun and lately finisht by the happy pen of Doctor Earl now Lord Bishop of Salisbury of whom I may justly say and let it not offend him because it is such a truth as ought not to be conceal'd from Posterity or those that now live and yet know him not that since Mr. Hooker died none have liv'd whom God hath blest with more innocent Wisdom more sanctified Learning or a more pious peaceable primitive Temper so that this excellent person seems to be only like himself our venerable R. Hooker only fit to make the learned of all Nations happy in knowing what hath been too long confin'd to the language of our little I stand There might be many more and just occasions taken to speak of his Books which none ever did or can commend too much but I decline them and hasten to an account of his Christian behaviour and Death at Borne in which place he continued his customary rules of Mortification and Self-denyal was much in Fasting frequent in Meditation and Prayers injoying those blessed Returns which only men of strict lives feel and know and to which men of loose and Godless lives are Strangers At his entrance into this place his Friendship was much sought for by Doctor Hadrian Saravia then one of the Prebends of Canterbury a German by birth and sometimes a Pastor both in Flanders and Holland where he had studied and well considered the controverted points concerning Episcopacy and Sacrilege and in England had a just occasion to declare his Judgement concerning both unto his Brethren Ministers of the Low Countrys which was excepted against by Theodor Beza and others against whose exceptions he rejoyned and thereby became the happy Author of many Learned Tracts writ in Latin especially of three one of the Degrees of Ministers and of the Bishops Superiority above the Presbytery a second against Sacrilege and a third of Christian Obedience to Princes the last being occasioned by Gretzerus the Jesuit And it is observable that when Beza gave his reasons to the Chancellor of Scotland for the abrogation of Episcopacy in that Nation partly by Letters and more fully in a Treatise of a three-fold Episcopacy which he calls Divine Humane and Satanical this Doctor Saravia had by the help of Bishop Whitgift made such an early discovery of their intentions that he had almost as soon answered that Treatise as it became Publique and therein discovered how Beza's opinion did contradict that of Calvins and their adherents leaving them to interfere with themselves in point of Episcopacy but these Tracts it will not concern me to say more than that they were most of them dedicated to his and the Church of Englands watchful Patron Iohn Whitgift the Archbishop and printed about the year in which Mr. Hooker also appeared first to the world in the Publication of his first four Books of Ecclesiastical Polity This Friendship being sought for by this Learned Doctor you may believe was not denied by M. Hooker who was fortune so like him as to be ingaged against Mr. Trevers Mr. Cartwright and others in a controversie too like Doctor Saravia's So that
seeds of Piety were so seasonably planted and so continually watered with the daily dew of Gods blessed Spirit as hath made Richard Hooker honour'd in this and will continue him to be so to succeeding Generations This good Schoolmaster whose Name I am not able to recover and am sorry for that I would have given him a better Memorial in this humble Monument dedicated to the memory of his Scholar was very sollicitous with Iohn Hooker then Chamberlain of Exeter and Uncle to our Richard to take his Nephew into his care and to maintain him for one year in the University and in the mean time to use his endeavours to procure an admission for him into some College still urging and assuring him that his Charge would not continue long for the Lads Learning and Manners were both so remarkable that they must of necessity be taken notice of and that God would provide him some second Patron that would free him and his Parents from their future care and charge These Reasons with the affectionate Rhetorick of his good Master and Gods blessing upon both procured from his Uncle a faithful promise that he would take him into his care and charge before the expiration of the year following which was performed This promise was made about the fourth year of the Reign of Queen Mary and the learned Iohn Iewell after Bishop of Salisbury having been in the first of this Queens Reign expelled out of Corpus-Christi College in Oxford of which he was a Fellow for adhering to the Truth of those Principles of Religion to which he had assented in the days of her Brother and Predecessour Edward the Sixth and he having now a just cause to fear a more heavy punishment than Expulsion was forced by forsaking this to seek safety in another Nation and with that safety the enjoyment of that Doctrine and Worship for which he suffer'd But the Cloud of that Persecution and Fear ending with the Life of Queen Mary the Affairs of the Church and State looked more clear and comfortable so that he and many others of the same Judgment made a happy return into England about the first of Queen Elizabeth in which year this Iohn Iewell was sent a Commissioner or Visitor of the Churches of the Western parts of this Kingdom and especially of those in Devon-shire in which County he was born and then and there he contracted a friendship with Iohn Hooker the Uncle of our Richard In the third year of her Reign this Iohn Iewell was made Bishop of Salisbury and there being always observed in him a willingness to oblige his Friends and now a power added to it Iohn Hooker gave him a Visit in Salisbury and besought him for Charity 's sake to look favourably upon a poor Nephew of his whom Nature had fitted for a Scholar but the Estate of his Parents was so narrow that they were unable to give him the advantage of Learning and that the Bishop would therefore become his Patron and prevent him from being a Tradesman for he was a boy of remarkable hopes And though the Bishop knew men do not look with an indifferent eye upon their own Children and Relations yet he assented so far to Iohn Hooker that he appointed the Boy and his Schoolmaster should attend him about Easter next following at that place which was done accordingly and then after some Questions and Observations of the Boys gravity and behaviour the Bishop gave his Schoolmaster a reward and took order for an annual Pension for the Boy 's Parents promising also to take him into his care for a future preferment which was performed for about the fourteenth year of his age which was Anno 1567 he was by the Bishop appointed to remove to Oxford and there to attend Dr. Cole then President of Corpus-Christi College Which he did and Dr. Cole had according to a promise made to the Bishop provided for him both a Tutor which was said to be Dr. Iohn Reynolds and a Clarks Place in that College which Place though it were not a full maintenance yet with the Contribution of his Uncle and the continued Pension of his Patron the good Bishop it gave him a comfortable Subsistence And in this condition he continued unto the Eighteenth year of his age still increasing in Learning and Prudence and so much in Humility and Piety that he seemed to be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his Mothers womb who did often bless the Day in which she bare him About this time of his age he fell into a dangerous Sickness which lasted two moneths all which time his Mother having notice of it did in her hourly prayers as earnestly beg his Life of God as the Mother of S. Augustine did that he might become a true Christian and their prayers were both so heard as to be granted Which Mr. Hooker would often mention with much joy and as often pray that he might never live to occasion any sorrow to his good Mother whom he loved so dearly that he would endeavour to be good even as much for hers as for his own sake As soon as he was perfectly recovered from this Sickness he took a journey from Oxford to Exeter to satisfie and see his good Mother being accompanied with a Countreyman and Companion of his own College and both on foot which was then either more in fashion or want of Money or their Humility made it so But on foot they went and took Salisbury in their way purposely to see the good Bishop who made Mr. Hooker and his Companion dine with him at his own Table which Mr. Hooker boasted of with much joy and gratitude when he saw his Mother and Friends And at the Bishops parting with him the Bishop gave him good counsel and his Benediction but forgot to give him Money which when the Bishop had considered he sent a Servant in all haste to call Richard back to him and at Richards return the Bishop said Richard I sent for you back to lend you a Horse which hath carried me many a mile and I thank God with much ease and presently delivered into his hand a Walking-staff with which he professed he had travelled through many parts of Germany and he said Richard I do not give but lend you my Horse be sure you be honest and bring my Horse back to me at your return this way to Oxford And I do now give you ten Groats to bear your charges to Exeter and here is ten Groats more which I charge you to deliver to your Mother and tell her I send her a Bishops blessing with it and beg the continuance of her prayers for me And if you bring my Horse back to me I will give you ten Groats more to carry you on foot to the College and so God bless you good Richard And this you may believe was performed by both Parties But alas the next news that followed Mr. Hooker to Oxford was that his learned and charitable Patron
had changed this for a better Life Which may be believed for that as he lived so he died in devout meditation and prayer and in both so zelously that it became a religious question Whether his last Ejaculations or his Soul did first enter into Heaven And now Mr. Hooker became a Man of Sorrow and Fear of Sorrow for the loss of so dear and comfortable a Patron and of Fear for his future Subsistence But Dr. Cole raised his spirits from this dejection by bidding him go cheerfully to his Studies and assuring him he should neither want Food nor Raiment which was the utmost of his hopes for he would become his Patron And so he was for about nine moneths and not longer for about that time this following accident did befall Mr. Hooker Edwin Sandys then Bishop of London and after Archbishop of York had also been in the days of Queen Mary forced by forsaking this to seek safety in another Nation where for many years Bishop Iewell and he were Companions at Bed and Board in Germany and where in this their Exile they did often eat the bread of sorrow and by that means they there began such a friendship as lasted till the death of Bishop Iewell which was 1571. A little before which time the two Bishops meeting Iewell began a story of his Richard Hooker and in it gave such a Character of his Learning and Manners that though Bishop Sandys was educated in Cambridge where he had obliged and had many Friends yet his resolution was that his Son Edwin should be sent to Corpus-Christi College in Oxford and by all means be Pupil to Mr. Hooker though his Son Edwin was then almost of the same Age for the Bishop said I will have a Tutor for my Son that shall teach him Learning by Instruction and Virtue by Example and my greatest care shall be of the last and God willing this Richard Hooker shall be the Man into whose hands I will commit my Edwin And the Bishop did so about twelve moneths after this resolution And doubtless as to these two a better choice could not be made for Mr. Hooker was now in the nineteenth year of his age had spent five in the University and had by a constant unwearied diligence attained unto a perfection in all the learned Languages and by the help of them an excellent Tutor and an unintermitted Study had made the subtilty of all the Arts easie and familiar to him and useful for the discovery of such Learning as lay hid from common Searchers so that by these added to his great Reason and his Industry added to both He did not onely know more but what he knew he knew better than other men And with this Knowledge he had a most blessed and clear Method of Demonstrating what he knew to the great advantage of all his Pupils which in time were many but especially to his two first his dear Edwin Sandys and his as dear George Cranmer of which there will be a fair Testimony in the ensuing Relation This for his Learning And for his Behaviour amongst other Testimonies this still remains of him That in four years he was but twice absent from the Chapel prayers and that his Behaviour there was such as shewed an awful reverence of that God which he then worshipped and prayed to giving all outward testimonies that his Affections were set on heavenly things This was his Behaviour towards God and for that to Man it is observable that he was never known to be angry or passionate or extreme in any of his Desires never heard to repine or dispute with Providence but by a quiet gentle submission bore the burthen of the day with patience never heard to utter an uncomly word and by this and a grave Bahaviour which is a Divine Charm he begot an early Reverence unto his Person even from those that at other times and in other companies took a liberty to cast off that strictness of Behaviour and Discourse that is required in a Collegiate Life And when he took any liberty to be pleasant his Wit was never blemisht with Scoffing or the utterance of any Conceit that border'd upon or might beget a thought of Loosness in his hearers Thus innocent and exemplary was his Behaviour in his College and thus this Good man continued till his death still increasing in Learning in Patience and Piety In this nineteenth year of his age he was chosen December 24. 1573 to be one of the twenty Scholars of the Foundation being elected and admitted as born in Devon-shire out of which Country a certain number are to be elected in Vacancies by the Founders Statutes And now he was much encouraged for now he was perfectly incorporated into this beloved College which was then noted for an eminent Library strict Students and remarkable Scholars And indeed it may glory that it had Bishop Iewel Doctor Iohn Reynolds and Doctor Tho. Iackson of that Foundation The First famous by his Learned Apologie for the Church of England and his Defence of it against Harding The Second for the learned and wise Menage of a publique Dispute with Iohn Hart about the Head and Faith of the Church and now printed And the Third for his most excellent Exposition of the Creed and other Treatises All such as have given greatest satisfaction to men of the greatest Learning Nor was this man more Note-worthy for his Learning than for his strict and pious Life testified by his abundant love and charity to all men And in the year 1576. Febr. 23. his Grace was given him for Inceptor of Arts Doctor Herbert Westphaling a man of note for Learning being then Vice-chancellour The Act following he was compleated Master which was Anno 1577. his Patron Doctor Cole being Vice-chancellour that year and his dear friend Henry Savill of Merton College being then one of the Proctors 'T was that Henry Savill that was after Sir Hen Savill Warden of Merton College and Provost of Eaton He which founded in Oxford two famous Lectures and endowed them with liberal maintenance 'T was that Sir Henry Savill that translated and enlightned the Annals of Cornelius Tacitus with a most excellent Comment and enriched the world by his laborious and chargeable collecting the scatter'd pieces of S. Chrysostome and the publication of them in one entire Body in Greek in which Language he was a most judicious Critick 'T was this Sir Hen Savill that had the happinesse to be a Contemporary and familiar friend to Mr. Hooker and let Posterity know it And in this year of 1577. he was chosen Fellow of the College Happy also in being the Contemporary and Friend of Dr. Iohn Reynolds of whom I have lately spoken and of Dr. Spencer both which were after and successively made Presidents of Corpus-Christi College men of great Learning and Merit and famous in their Generations Nor was Mr. Hooker more happy in his Contemporaries of his Time and College than in the Pupillage and
Works and by their Transcription they fell into the hands of others and have been thereby preserved from being lost as too many of his other matchless wrirings were and from these I have gathered my observations in this Discourse of his Life After the publication of his answer to the Petition of Mr. Trevers Mr. Hooker grew dayly into repute with the most learned and wise of the Nation but it had a contrary effect in every many of the Temple that were zealous for Mr. Trevers and for his Church Discipline insomuch that though Mr. Trevers left the place yet the seeds of Discontent could not be rooted out of that Society by the great Reason and as great Meekness of this humble man for though the chief Benchers gave him much Reverence and Incouragement yet he there met with many neglects and oppositions by those of Mr. Trevers Judgement insomuch that it turned to his extreme grief and that he might unbeguile and win them he designed to write a deliberate sober Treatise of the Churches power to make Canons for the use of Ceremonies and by Law to impose an obedience to them as upon her Children and this he proposed to do in eight Books of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity intending therein to shew such Arguments as should force an assent from all men if Reason delivered in sweet Language and voyd of any provocation were able to doe it And that he might prevent all prejudice he wrote a large Preface or Epistle to the Dissenting Brethren wherein there were such Bowels of Love and such a Commixture of that Love with Reason as was never exceeded but in Holy Writ and particularly by that of St. Paul to his dear Brother and fellow Labourer Philemon than which none ever was more like this Epistle of Mr. Hookers so that his dear friend and companion in his Studies might after his death justly say What admirable height of Learning and depth of Iudgment dwelt in the lowly mind of this truly humble man great in all wise mens eyes except his own with what gravity and Majesty of speech his Tongue and Pen uttered Heavenly Mysteries whose eyes in the Humility of his Heart were always cast down to the ground how all things that proceeded from him were breathed as from the Spirit of Love as if he like the Bird of the Holy Ghost the Dove had wanted gall let those that knew him not in his Person judge by these living Images of his soul his Writings The foundation of these Books were laid in the Temple but he sound it no fit place to finish what he had there designed and therefore solicited the Arch Bishop for a remove saying When I lost the freedom of my Cell which was my College yet I found some degree of it in my quiet Country Parsonage but I am weary of the noise and oppositions of this place And indeed God and Nature did not intend me for Contentions but for Study and quietness I have begun a work in which I intend the Iustification of our Laws of Church-Government and I shall never be able to finish it but where I may Study and pray for Gods blessing upon my indeavours and keep my self in Peace and Privacy and behold Gods blessing spring out of my Mother Earth and eat my own bread without oppositions and therefore if your Grace can Iudge me worthy such a favour let me beg it that I may perfect what I have begun About this time the Parsonage or Rectory of Boscum in the Diocess of Sarum and six miles from that City became void The Bishop of Sarum is Patron of it but in the vacancy of that Sea which was three years betwixt the death of Bishop Peirce and Bishop Caldwells admission into it the disposal of that and all Benefices belonging to that Sea during this said vacancy came to be disposed of by the Archbishop of Canterbury and he presented Richard Hooker to it in the year 1591. And Richard Hooker was also in this said year Instituted Iuly 17. to be a minor Prebend of Salisbury the Corps to it being nether-Havin about ten miles from that City which Prebend was of no great value but intended chiefly to make him capable of a better preferment in that Church In this Boscum he continued till he had finished four of his eight proposed Books of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity and these were enter'd into the register Book in Stationers Hall the 9. of March 1592. but not publisht till the year 1594. and then with the before mentioned large and affectionate Preface to them that seek as they termit the Reformation of the laws and orders Ecclesiastical in the Church of England of which Books I shall yet say nothing more but that he continued his laborious diligence to finish the remaining four during his life of all which more properly hereafter but at Boscum he finisht and publisht but only the first four He left Boscum in the year 1595. by a surrender of it into the hands of Bishop Caldwell and he presented Benjamin Russel who was Instituted into it 23. of Iune in the same year The Parsonage of Bishops Borne in Kent three miles from Canterbury is in that Archbishops gift but in the latter end of the year 1594. Doctor William Redman the Rector of it was made Bishop of Norwich by which means the power of presenting to it was pro ea vice in the Queen and she presented Richard Hooker whom she loved well to this good living of Borne the 7. of Iuly 1595. in which Living he continued till his Death without any addition of Dignity or Profit And now having brought our Richard Hooker from his Birth-place Place to this where he found a Grave I shall only give some account of his Books and of his behaviour in this Parsonage of Borne and then give a rest both to my self and my Reader His first four Books and large Epistle have been declared to be printed at his being at Boscum Anno 1594. Next I am to tell that at the end of these four Books there is printed this Advertisement to the Reader I have for some causes thought it at this time more fit to let go these first four Books by themselves than to stay both them and the rest till the whole might together be published Such generalities of the cause in question as are here handled it will be perhaps not amiss to consider apart by way of Introduction unto the Books that are to follow concerning particulars in the mean time the Reader is requested to mend the Printers errors as noted underneath And I am next to declare that his fifth Book which is larger than his first four was first also printed by itself Anno 1597. and dedicated to his Patron the Archbishop These Books were read with an admiration of their excellency in This and their just fame spread it self into forain Nations And I have been told more than fourty years past that Cardinal