justly urged to moderate severe Censures yet he would occasionally condemn himself for it and doubtless it had been attended with an heavy Repentance if God had not blest them with so mutual and cordial affections as in the midst of their sufferings made their bread of sorrow taste more pleasantly then the banquets of dull and low-spirited people The Recreations of his youth were Poetry in which he was so happy as if nature and all her varieties had been made onely to exercise his sharp wit and high facy and in those pieces which were facetiously Composed and carelesly scattered most of them being written before the twentieth year of his age it may appear by his choice Metaphors that both Nature and all the Arts joyned to assist him with their utmost skill It is a truth that in his penitential years viewing some of those pieces too loosely scattered in his youth he wish't they had been abortive or so short liv'd that his own eyes had witnessed their funerals But though he was no friend to them he was not so fallen out with heavenly Poetry as to forsake that no not in his declining age witnessed then by many Divine Sonnets and other high holy and harmonious Composures Yea even on his former sick-bed he wrote this heavenly Hymne expressing the great joy that then possest his soul in the Assurance of Gods favour to him An Hymne to God the Father WIlt thou forgive that sin where I begun Which was my sin though it were done before Wilt thou forgive that sin through which I run And do run still though still I do deplore When thou hast done thou hast not done For I have more Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have wonne Others to sin and made my sin their door Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun A year or two but wallowed in a score When thou hast done thou hast not done For I have more I have a sin of fear that when I 've spun My last thread I shall perish on the shore But swear by thy self that at my death thy Son Shall shine as he shines now and heretofore And having done that thou hast done I fear no more I have the rather mentioned this Hymne for that he caus'd it to be set to a most grave and solemn Tune and to be often sung to the Organ by the Choristers of St. Pauls Church in his own hearing especially at the Evening Service and at his return from his Customary Devotions in that place did occasionally say to a friend The words of this Hymne have restored to me the same thoughts of joy that possest my Soul in my sickness when I composed it And O the power of Church-musick that Harmony added to it has raised the Affections of my heart and quicned my graces of zeal and gratitude and I observe that I alwayes return from paying this publick duty of Prayer and Praise to God with an unexpressible tranquillity of mind and a willingness to leave the world After this manner did the Disciples of our Saviour and the best of Christians in those Ages of the Church nearest to his time offer their praises to Almighty God And the reader of St. Augustines life may there find that towards his dissolution he wept abundantly that the enemies of Christianity had broke in upon them and prophaned and ruin'd their Sanctuaries and because their Publick Hymns and Lauds were lost out of their Churches And after this manner have many devout Souls lifted up their hands and offered acceptable Sacrifices unto Almighty God where Dr. Donne offered his But now oh Lord 1656. Before I proceed further I think fit to inform the reader that not long before his death he caused to be drawn a figure of the Body of Christ extended upon an Anchor like those which Painters draw when they would present us with the picture of Christ crucified on the Cross his varying no otherwise then to affix him to an Anchor the Emblem of hope this he caused to be drawn in little and then many of those figures thus drawn to be ingraven very small in Helitropian Stones and set in gold and of these he sent to many of his dearest friends to be used as Seales or Rings and kept as memorials of him and of his affection to them His dear friends and benefactors Sir Henry Goolier and Sir Robert Drâ—wry could not be of that number Nor could the Lady Magdalen Herbert the mother of George Herbert for they had put off mortality and taken possession of the grave before him But Sir Henry Wootton and Dr. Hall the then late deceased Bishop of Norwitch were and so were Dr. Duppa Bishop of Salisbury and Dr. Henry King Bishop of Chichester lately deceased men in whom there was such a Commixture of general Learning of natural eloquence and Christian humility that they deserve a Commemoration by a pen equal to their own which none hath exceeded And in this enumeration of his friends though many must be omitted yet that man of primitive piety Mr. George Herbert may not I mean that George Herbert who was the Author of the Temple or Sacred Poems and Ejaculations A Book in which by declaring his own spiritual Conflicts he hath Comforted and raised many a dejected and discomposed Soul and charmed them into sweet and quiet thoughts A Book by the frequent reading whereof and the assistance of that Spirit that seemed to inspire the Author the Reader may attain habits of Peace and Piety and all the gifts of the Holy Ghost and Heaven and may by still reading still keep those sacred fires burning upon the Altar of so pure an heart as shall free it from the anxieties of this world and keep it fixt upon things that are above betwixt him and Dr. Donne there was a long and dear friendship made up by such a Sympathy of inclinations that they coveted and joyed to be in each others Company and this happy friendship was still maintained by many sacred indearments of which that which followeth may be some Testimony To Mr. George Herbert sent him with one of my Seales of the Anchor and Christ. A sheaf of Snakes used heretofore to be my Seal which is the Crest of our poor Family Qui prius assuetus serpeatum falce tabellas Signare haec nostrae Symbola parva domus Adscitus domui domini Adopted in Gods family and so My old Coat lost into new Arms I go The Cross my seal in Baptism spread below Does by that form into an Anchor grow Crosses grow Anchors bear as thou should'st do Thy Cross and that Cross grows an Anchor too But he that makes our Crosses Anchors thus Is Christ who there is crucified for us Yet with this I may my first Serpents hold God gives new blessings yet leaves the old The Serpent may as wise my pattern be My poyson as he feeds on dust that 's me And as he rounds the earth to murder sure He is my death
Reader may be pleased to know that his Father was masculinely and lineally descended from a very antient Family in Wales where many of his name now live that deserve and have great reputation in that Countrey By his Mother he was descended of the Family of the famous and learned Sir Tho. Moor sometime Lord Chancellour of England as also from that worthy and laborious Judge Rastall who left Posterity the vast Statutes of the Law of this Nation most exactly abridged He had his first breeding in his Fathers house where a private Tutor had the care of him until the ninth year of his age and in his tenth year was sent to the University of Oxford having at that time a good command both of the French and Latine Tongue This and some other of his remarkable Abilities made one give this censure of him That this age had brought forth another Picus Mirandula of whom Story sayes That he was rather born than made wise by study There he remained in Hart-Hall having for the advancement of his studies Tutors of several Sciences to attend and instruct him till time made him capable and his learning expressed in publick exercises declared him worthy to receive his first degree in the Schools which he forbore by advice from his friends who being for their Religion of the Romish perswasion were conscionably averse to some parts of the Oath that is always tendered at those times and not to be refused by those that expect the titulary honour of their studies About the fourteenth year of his age he was transplanted from Oxford to Cambridge where that he might receive nourishment from both Soils he staid till his seventeenth year all which time he was a most laborious Student often changing his studies but endeavouring to take no degree for the reasons formerly mentioned About the seventeenth year of his age he was removed to London and then admitted into Lincolns-Inne with an intent to study the Law where he gave great testimonies of his Wit his Learning and of his Improvement in that profession which never served him for other use than an Ornament and Self-satisfaction His Father died before his admission into this Society and being a Merchant left him his portion in money it was 3000 l. His Mother and those to whose care he was committed were watchful to improve his knowledge and to that end appointed him Tutors in the Mathematicks and all the Liberal Sciences to attend him But with these Arts they were advised to instil particular Principles of the Romish Church of which those Tutors profest though secretly themselves to be members They had almost obliged him to their faith having for their advantage besides many opportunities the example of his dear and pious Parents which was a most powerful perswasion and did work much upon him as he professeth in his Preface to his Pseudo-Martyr a Book of which the Reader shall have some account in what follows He was now entered into the eighteenth year of his age and at that time had betrothed himself to no Religion that might give him any other denomination than a Christian. And Reason and Piety had both perswaded him that there could be no such sin as Schis me if an adherence to some visible Church were not necessary He did therefore at his entrance into the nineteenth year of his age though his youth and strength then promised him a long life yet being unresolved in his Religion he thought it necessary to rectifie all scruples that concerned that and therefore waving the Law and betrothing himself to no Art or Profession that might justly denominate him he begun to survey the Body of Divinity as it was then controverted betwixt the Reformed and the Roman Church And as Gods blessed Spirit did then awaken him to the search and in that industry did never forsake him they be his own words so he calls the same holy Spirit to witness this Protestationâ— that in that disquisition and search he proceeded with humility and diffidence in himself and by that which he took to be the safest way namely frequent Prayers and an indifferent affection to both parties and indeed truth had too much light about her to be hid from so sharp an Inquirer and he had too much ingenuity not to acknowledge he had found her Being to undertake this search he believed the Cardinal Bellarmine to be the best defender of the Roman cause and therefore betook himself to the examination of his Reasons The Cause was weighty and wilful delays had been inexcusable both towards God and his own Conscience he therefore proceeded in this search with all moderate haste and before the twentieth year of his age did shew the then Dean of Gloucester whose name my memory hath now lost all the Cardinals works marked with many weighty observations under his own hand which works were bequeathed by him at his death as a Legacy to a most dear Friend The year following he resolved to travel and the Earl of Essex going first the Cales and after the Island voyages he took the advantage of those opportunities waited upon his Lordship and was an eye-witness of those happy and unhappy employments But he returned not back into England till he had staid some years first in Italy and then in Spain where he made many useful observations of those Countreys their Laws and manner of Government and returned perfect in their Languages The time that he spent in Spain was at his first going into Italy designed for travelling the Holy Land and for viewing Jerusalem and the Sepulchre of our Saviour But at his being in the furthest parts of Italy the disappointment of Company or of a safe Convoy or the uncertainty of returns for Money into those remote parts denied him that happiness which he did often occasionally mention with a deploration Not long after his return into England that exemplary Pattern of Gravity and Wisdom the Lord Elsemore then Keeper of the Great Seal and Lord Chancellour of England taking notice of his Learning Languages and other Abilities and much affecting his Person and Condition took him to be his chief Secretary supposing and intending it to be an Introduction to some more weighty Employment in the State for which his Lordship did often protest he thought him very fit Nor did his Lordship in this time of Master Donne's attendance upon him account him to be so much his Servant as to forget he was his friend and to testifie it did always use him with much courtesie appointing him a place at his own Table to which he esteemed his Company and Discourse a great Ornament He continued that employment for the space of five years being daily useful and not mercenary to his Friends During which time he I dare not say unhappily fell into such a liking as with her approbation increased into a love with a young Gentlewoman that lived in that Family who was Niece to the Lady Elsemore and daughter to
and Endowments whose necessary and daily expences were hardly reconcileable with his uncertain and narrow estate Which I mention for that at this time there was a most generous offer made him for the moderating of his worldly cares the declaration of which shall be the next employment of my Pen. God hath been so good to his Church as to afford it in every age some such men to serve at his Altar as have been piously ambitious of doing good to mankind a disposition that is so like to God himself that it owes it self only to him who takes a pleasure to behold it in his Creatures These times he did bless with many such some of which still live to be Patterns of Apostolical Charity and of more than Humane Patience I have said this because I have occasion to mention one of them in my following discourse namely Dr. Morton the most laborious and learned Bishop of Durham one that God hath blessed with perfect intellectuals and a cheerful heart at the age of 94 years and is yet living one that in his days of plenty had so large a heart as to use his large Revenue to the encouragement of Learning and Vertue and is now be it spoken with sorrow reduced to a narrow estate which he embraces without repining and still shews the beauty of his mind by so liberal a hand as if this were an age in which to morrow were to care for it self I have taken a pleasure in giving the Reader a short but true character of this good man from whom I received this following relation He sent to Mr. Donne and intreated to borrow an hour of his time for a Conference the next day After their meeting there was not many minutes passed before he spake to Mr. Donne to this purpose Mr. Donne The occasion of sending for you is to propose to you what I have often revolv'd in my own thought since I last saw you which nevertheless I will not do but upon this condition that you shall not return me a present answer but forbear three days and bestow some part of that time in Fasting and Prayer and after a serious consideration of what I shall propose then return to me with your answer Deny me not Mr. Donne for it is the effect of a true love which I would gladly pay as a debt due for yours to me This request being granted the Doctor exprest himself thus Mr. Donne I know your Education and Abilities I know your expectation of a State-employment and I know your fitness for it and I know too the many delays and contingencies that attend Court-promises and let me tell you my love begot by our long friendship our familiarity and your merits hath prompted me to such an inquisition of your present temporal estate as makes me no stranger to your necessities which are such as your generous spirit could not bear if it were not supported with a pious Patience you know I have formerly perswaded you to wave your Court-hopes and enter into holy Orders which I now again perswade you to embrace with this reason added to my former request The King hath yesterday made me Dean of Gloucester and I am possessed of a Benefice the profits of which are equal to those of my Deanry I will think my Deanry enough for my maintenance who am and resolve to die a single man and will quit my Benefice and estate you in it which the Patron is willing I shall do if God shall incline your heart to embrace this motion Remember Mr. Donne no mans Education or Parts make him too good for this employment which is to be an Ambassadour for the God of glorie who by a vile death opened the gates of life to mankind Make me no present answer but remember your promise and return to me the third day with your Resolution At the hearing of this Mr. Donne's faint breath and perplext countenance gave a visible testimony of an inward conflict but he performed his promise and departed without returning an answer till the third day and then it was to this effect My most worthy and most dear friend since I saw you I have been faithful to my promise and have also meditated much of your great kindness which hath been such as would exceed even my gratitude but that it cannot do and more I cannot return you and I do that with an heart full of Humility and Thanks though I may not accept of your offer but Sir my refusal is not for that I think my self too good for that calling for which Kings if they think so are not good enough nor for that my Education and Learning though not eminent may not being assisted with God's Grace and Humility â—ender me in some measure fit for it but I â—â—e make so dear a friend as you are my Câ—â—fessor some irregularities of my life have been so visible to some men that though I have I thank God made my peace with him by penitential resolutions against them and by the assistance of his Grace banish'd them my affections yet this which God knows to be so is not so visible to man as to free me from their censures and it may be that sacred calling from a dishonour And besides whereas it is determined by the best of Casuists that God's Glory should be the first end and a maintenance the second motive to embrace that calling and though each man may propose to himself both together yet the first may not be put last without a violation of Conscience which he that searches the heart will judge And truly my present condition is such that if I ask my own Conscience whether it be reconcileable to that rule it is at this time so perplexed about it that I can neither give my self nor you an answer You know Sir who sayes Happy is that man whose Conscience doth not accuse him for that thing which he does To these I might adde other reasons that disswade me but I crave your favour that I may forbear to express them and thankfully decline your offer This was his present resolution but the heart of man is not in his own keeping and he was destined to this sacred service by an higher hand a hand so powerful as at last forced him to a compliance of which I shall give the Reader an account before I shall give a rest to my Pen. Mr. Donnne and his wife continued with Sir Francis Wolly till his death a little before which time Sir Francis was so happy as to make a perfect reconciliation betwixt Sir George and his forsaken son and daughter Sir George conditioning by bond to pay to Mr. Donne 800 l. at a certain day as a portion with his wife or 20 l. quarterly for their maintenance as the interest for it till the said portion was paid Most of those years that he lived with Sir Francis he studied the Civil and Cannon Laws in which he acquired such a perfection as was
Parties were so pleased with this proposal that it was resolved â—o it should be And in the mean time his Parents and Master laid a foundation for his future happiness by instilling into his Soul the seeds of Piety those conscientious principles of loving and fearing God of an early belief that he knows the very secrets of our Souls That he punisheth our Vices and rewards our Innocence That we should be free from hypocrisie and appear to man what we are to God because first or last the crafty man is catch't in his own snare These seeds of Piety were so seasonably planted and so continually watered with the daily dew of Gods blessed Spirit that his Infant vertues grew into such holy habits as did make him grow daily into more and more favour both with God and man which with the great Learning that he did attain to hath made Richard Hooker honour'd in thisâ— 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 John 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 Colledge 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 doubtless 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 wou'd take him into his care and charge before the expiration of the Year following which was performed by the assistance of the Learned John Jewell who left or was about the first of Queen Maries Reign expell'd out of Corpus-Christi Colledge 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 dayes of her Brother and Predecessor Edward the Sixth and he having now a just cause to fear a more heavy punishment than Expulsion was forced by forsaâ—ing 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 did then look more clear and comfortable so that he and with him many others of the same judgement made a happy return into England about the first of Queen Elizabeth in which Year this John Jewell was sent a Commissioner or Visitor of the Churches of the Western parts of this Kingdom and especially of those in Devonshire in which County he was born and then and there he contracted a friendship with John Hooker the Uncle of our Richard In the second or third Year of her Reign this John Jewell was made Bishop of Salisbury and there being alwayes observed in him a willingness to do good and to obliege his Friends and now a power added to it John Hooker gave him a Visit in Salisbury and be sought 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 usually look with an indifferent eye upon their own Children and Relations yet he assented so far to John 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 Boyes learning and gravity and behaviour the Bishop gave his Schoolmaster a reward and took order for an annual Pension for the Boyes Parentsâ— promising also to take him into his care for a future preferment which was performed for about the Fifteenth 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 Colledge 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 the learned Dr. John Reynolds and a Clerks place in that Colledge 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 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 and even like St. John Baptist to be sanctified 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 Months all which tim his Mother having notice of it did in her houâ—ly prayers as earnestly beg his life of God as the Mother of St. 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 so good a Mother of whom he would often say he loved her 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 Sicâ—ness he took a jâ—urney from Oxford to Exeter to satisfie and see his good Mother being accompanied with a Countreyman and Companion of his own Colledge 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 to him 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
worthy of noting That these Exceptions of Mr. Travers against Mr. Hooker were the cause of his Transcribing several of his Sermons which we now see printed with his Books of his Answer to Mr. Travers his Supplication and of his most learned and useful discourse of Justification of Faith 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 writings were and from these I have gathered many observations in this Discourse of his Life After the publication of his Answer to the Petiton of Mr. Travers Mr. Hooker grew dayly into greater repute with the most learned and wise of the Nation but it had a contrary effect in very many of the Temple that were zealous for Mr. Travers and for his Church Discipline insomuch that though Mr. Travers 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 Master Travers Judgment in so much 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 void of any provocation were able to do it And that he might prevent all prejudice he wrote before it 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 Doctor Spenser might after his death justly say What admirable height of Learning and depth of Judgment 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 alwayes 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 was laid in the Temple but he found it no fit place to finish what he had there designed and therefore solicited the Arch-Bishop for a remove to whom he spake to this purpose My Lord When I lost the freedom of my Cell which was my Colledge 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 My Lord My particular contests with Mr. Travers here have proved the more unpleasant to me because I believe him a good man and that belief hath occasioned me to examine mine own Conscience concerning his opinions and to satisfie that I have consulted the Scripture and other laws both humane and divine whether the Conscience of him and others of his judgment ought to be so farr complyed with as to alter our frame of Church Government our manner of Gods worship our praising and praying to him and our established Ceremonies as often as their tender Consciences shall require us and in this examination I have not onely satisfyed my self but have begun a treatise in which I intend the Justification 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 Judge me worthy such a favonr 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 See which was three years betwixt the Translation of Bishop Peirce to the See of York and Bishop Caldwells admission into it the disposal of that and all Benefices belonging to that See 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 the said year Instituted July 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 entered into the register Book in Stationers Hall the 9. of March 1592. but not published till the year 1594. and then with the before-mentioned large and affectionate Preface which he directs to them that seek as they term it 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 onely the first four being then in the 39 th year of his Age. 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 the 23. of June in the same year The Parsonage of Bishops Borne in Kent three miles from Canterbury is in that Arch-Bishops 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 July 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 to this where he found a Grave I shall onely give some account of his Books and of his behaviour in this Parsonage of Borne and then give a
were some of the reasons by which Mr. Herbert instructed his Congregation for the use of the Psalms and the Hymns appointed to be daily sung or said in the Church-service He inform'd them when the Priest did pray only for the Congregation and not for himself and when they did only pray for him as namely after the repetition of the Creed before he proceeds to pray the Lords prayer or any of the appointed Collects the Priest is directed to kneel down and pray for them saying The Lord be with you And then they pray for him saying And with thy spirit and he assur'd them that when there is such mutual love and such joint prayers offered for each other then the holy Angels look down from Heaven and are ready to carry such charitable desires to God Almighty and he as ready to receive them and that a Christian Congregation calling thus upon God with one heart and one voyce and in one reverend and humble posture look as beautifully as Jerusalem that is at peace with it self He instructed them why the prayer of our Lord was pray'd often in every full service of the Church namely at the conclusion of the several parts of that Service and pray'd then not only because it was compos'd and commanded by our Jesus that made it but as a perfect pattern for our less perfect Forms of prayer and therefore fittest to sum up and conclude all our imperfect Petitions He instructed them that as by the second Commandment we are requir'd not to bow down or worship an Idol or false god so by the contrary Rule we are to bow down and kneel or stand up and worship the true God And he instructed them why the Church requir'd the Congregation to stand up at the repetition of the Creeds namely because they did thereby declare both their obedience to the Church and an assent to that faith into which they had been baptizâ—d And he taught them that in that shoâ—ter Creed or Doxology so often repeated daily they also stood up to testifie their belief to be that the God that they trusted in was one God and three persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to whom the Priest gave glory And because there had been Heretic â—s that had denied some of these three persons to be God therefore the Congregation stood up and honour'd him by conâ—essing and saying It was so in the beginning is now so and shall ever be so World without end And as gave their assent to this beâ—â—ef by saying Amen He instructed them what benefit they had by the Churches appointing the â— elebration of Holy-dayes and the excellent use of them namely that they were set apart for particular Commemorations of particular mercies received from Almighty God and as Reveâ—end Mr. Hooker sayes to be the Land marâ—s to distinguish times for by them we are taught to take notice how the years pass by us and that we ought not to let them pass without a Celebration of praise for those mercies which they give us occasion to remember and therefore the year is appointed to begin the 25th day of March a day in which we commemorate the Angels appearing to the B. Virgin with the joyful tydings that she should concâ—ive and bear a Son that should be the redeemer of Mankind and she did so Forty weeks after this joyful salutation namely at our Christmas a day in which we commemorate his Birth with joy and praise and that eight dayes after this happy Birth we celebrate his Circumcision namely in that which we call New-years day And that upon that we call Twelfth-day we commemorate the manifestation of the unsearchable riches of Jesus to the Gentiles And that day we also celebrate the memory of his goodness in sending a Star to guide the three wise men from the East to Bethlem that they might there worship and present him with their oblations of Gold Frankincense and Myrrhe And he Mr. Herbert instructed them that Jesus was Forty dayes after his Birth presented by his blessed mother in the Temple namely on that day which we call the Purification of the blessed Virgin Saint Mary And he instructed them that by the Lent-fast we imitate and commemorate our Saviours humiliation in fasting Forty dayes and that we ought to endeavour to be like him in purity And that on Good fryday we commemorate and condole his Crucifixion And at Easter commemorate his glorious Resurrection And he taught them that after Jesus had manifested himself to his Disciples to be that Christ that was crucified dead and buried that then by his appearing and conversing with them for the space of Forty dayes after his Resurrection he then and not till then ascended into Heaven in the sight of his Disciples namely on that day which we call the Ascension or Holy Thursday And that we then celebrate the performance of the promise which he made to his Disciples at or before his Ascension namely that though he left them yet he would send them the Holy Ghost to be their Comforter and he did so on that day which the Church calls Whit sunday Thus the Church keeps an Historical and circular Commemoration of times as they pass by us of such times as ought to incline us to occasional praises for the particular blessings which we do or might receive at those holy times He made them know why the Church hath appointed Ember-weeks and to know the reason why the Commandements and the Epistles and Gospels were to be read at the Altar or Communion Table why the Priest was to pray the Litany Kneeling and why to pray some Collects standing and he gave them many other observations fit for his plain Congregation but not fit for me now to mention for I must set limits to my Pen and not make that a Treatise which I intended to be a much shorter account than I have made it but I have done when I have told the Reader that he was constant in Catechising every Sunday in the Afternoon and that his Catechising was after his second lesson and in the Pulpit and that he never exceeded his half hour and was always so happy as to have a full Congregation But to this I must add That if he were at any time too zealous in his Sermons it was in reproving the indecencies of the peoples behaviour in the time of Divine Service and of those Ministers that hudled up the Church-prayers without a visible reverence and affection namely such as seem'd to say the Lords prayer or a Collect in a breath but for himself his custom was to stop betwixt every Collect and give the people time to consider what they had pray'd and to force their desires affectionately to God before he engag'd them into new Petitions And by this account of his diligence to make his Parishioners understand what and why they pray'd and prais'd and ador'd their Creator I hope I shall the more easily obtain the Readers belief
and reverence which he everywhere bears towards our dear Master and Lord concluding every Consideration almost with his holy Name and setting his merit forth so piously for which I do so love him that were there nothing else I would Print it that with it the honour of my Lord might be published Thirdly the many pious rules of ordering our life about Mortification and observation of Gods Kingdom within us and the working thereof of which he was a very diligent observer These three things are very eminent in the Author and overweigh the Defects as I conceive towards the publishing thereof From his Parsonage of Bemerton near Salisbury Sept. 29. 1632. To Sir J. D. SIR THough I had the best wit in the World yet it would easily tyre me to find out variety of thanks for the diversity of your favours if I sought to do so but I profess it not And therefore let it be sufficient for me that the same heart which you have won long since is still true to you and hath nothing else to answer your infinite kindnesses but a constancy of obedience only hereafter I will take heed how I propose my desires unto you since I find you so willing to yield to my requests for since your favours come a Horse-back there is reason that my desires should go a-fost neither do I make any question but that you have performed your kindness to the full and that the Horse is every way fit for me and I will strive to imitate the compleatness of your love with being in some proportion and after my manner Your most obedient Servant George Herbert For my dear sick Sister Most dear Sister THink not my silence forgetfulness or that my love is as dumb as my papers though businesses may stop my hand yet my heart a much better member is alwayes with you and which is more with our good and gracious God incessantly begging some ease of your pains with that earnestness that becomes your griefs and my love God who knows and sees this Writing knows also that my solliciting him has been much and my tears many for you judge me then by those waters and not by my ink and then you shall justly value Decem. 6. 1620. Trin Coll. Your most truly most heartily affectionate Brother and Servant George Herbert SIR I Dare no longer be silent least while I think I am modest I wrong both my self and also the confidence my Friends have in me wherefore I will open my case unto you which I think deserves the reading at the least and it is this I want Books extremely You know Sir how I am now setting foot into Divinity to lay the platform of my future life and shall I then be fain alwayes to borrow Books and build on anothers foundation What Trades-man is there who will set up without his Tools Pardon my boldness Sir it is a most serious Case nor can I write coldly in that wherein consisteth the making good of my former education of obeying that Spirit which hath guided me hitherto and of atchieving my I dare say holy ends This also is aggravated in that I apprehend what my Friends would have been forward to say if I had taken ill courses Follow your Book and you shall want nothing You know Sir it is their ordinary speech and now let them make it good for since I hope I have not deceived their expectation let not them deceive mine But perhaps they will say you are sickly you must not study too hard it is true God knows I am weak yet not so but that every day I may step one step towards my journies end and I love my friends so well as that if all things proved not well I had rather the fault should lie on me than on them but they will object again What becomes of your Annuity Sir if there be any truth in me I find it little enough to keep me in health You know I was sick last Vacation neither am I yet recovered so that I am fain ever and anon to buy somewhat tending towards my health for infirmities are both painful and costly Now this Lent I am forbid utterly to eat any Fish so that I am fain to dyet in my Chamber at mine own cost for in our publick Halls you know is nothing but Fish and Whit-meats Out of Lent also twice a Week on Fridayes and Saturdayes I must do so which yet sometimes I fast Sometimes also I ride to Newmarket and there lie a day or two for fresh Air all which tend to avoiding of costlier matters if I should fall absolutely sick I protest and vow I even study Thrift and yet I am scarce able with much ado to make one half years allowance shake hands with the other And yet if a Book of four or five Shillings come in my way I buy it though I fast for it yea sometimes of Ten Shillings But alas Sir what is that to those infinite Volumes of Divinity which yet every day swell and grow bigger Noble Sir pardon my boldness and consider but these three things First the Bulk of Divinity Secondly the time when I desire this which is now when I must lay the foundation of my whole life Thirdly what I desire and to what end not vain pleasures nor to a vain end If then Sir there be any course either by engaging my future Annuity or any other way I desire you Sir to be my Mediator to them in my behalf Now I write to you Sir because to you I have ever opened my heart and have reason by the Patents of your perpetual favour to do so still for I am sure you love March 18. 1617. Trin Coll. Your faithfullest Servant George Herbert SIR THis Week hath loaded me with your Favours I wish I could have come in person to thank you but it is not possible presently after Michaelmas I am to make an Oration to the whole University of an hour long in Latin and my Lincoln journey hath set me much behind hand neither can I so much as go to Bugden and deliver your Letter yet have I sent it thither by a faithful Messenger this day I beseech you all you and my dear Mother and Sister to pardon me for my Cambridge necessities are stronger to tye me here than yours to London If I could possibly have come none should have done my message to Sir Fr Nethersole for me he and I are ancient acquaintance and I have a strong opinion of him that if he can do me a courtesie he will of himself yet your appearing in it affects me strangely I have sent you here inclosed a Letter from our Master in my behalf which if you can send to Sir Francis before his departure it will do well for it expresseth the Universities inclination to me yet if you cannot send it with much convenience it is no matter for the Gentleman needs no incitation to love me The Orators place that you may understand