employed in a wise and Religious Lahour 10. These were great things and matter of great envy At first the product was nothing but great admiration at his stupendious parts and wonder at his mighty diligence and observation of his unusual zeal but this quickly past into the natural daughters of envy obloquy and slander His zeal for recovery of the Church Revenues was called oppression and rapine his care of reducing Religion to wise and justifiable Principles was called Popery and Arminianism and I know not what names which signifie what the Authors are pleas'd to mean and the people to construe and to hate This made him to walk more warily and do justly and act prudently and conduct his Affairs by the measure of Laws as far as he understood and indeed that was a very great way And though every slanderer could tell a story yet none could prove that ever he receiv'd a bribe to blind his eyes to the value of a pair of Gloves It was his own expression when he gave Glory to God who had preserv'd him innocent 11. See the greatness of truth and prudence and how greatly God stood with him When the numerous Armies of vexed people heaped up Catalogues of Accusations when the Parliament of Ireland imitated the violent procedures of the then disordered English when his glorious Patron was taken from his head and he was disrobed of his great defences when Petitions were invited and Accusations furnished and Calumny was rewarded and managed with Art and Power when there was above 200 Petitions put in against him and himself denyed leave to answer by word of mouth when he was long imprison'd and treated so that a guilty man would have been broken into affrightment and pittiful and low considerations yet then he himself standing almost alone like Callimachus at Marathon invested with Enemies and cover'd with Arrows defended himself beyond all the powers of guiltiness even with the defences of Truth and the bravery of Innocence and answer'd the Petitions in Writing sometimes 20 in a day with so much clearness evidence of truth reality of fact and testimony of Law that his very enemies were asham'd and convinc'd they found they had done like AEsop's Viper they licked the File till their tongues bled but himself was wholly invulnerable 12. They were therefore to leave their Muster rolls and decline the particulars and fall to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to accuse him for going about to subvert the Fundamental Laws the way by which great Stafford and Canterbury fell Which was a device when all reasons fail'd to oppress the Enemy by the bold affirmation of a conclusion they could not prove But the Martyr-King Charles the first of most glorious and eternal memory seeing so great a Champion likely to be oppress'd with numbers and despair sent what rescue he could his Royal Letter for his Bail which was hardly granted to him and when it was it was upon such hard terms that his very delivery was a persecution He that does great things cannot avoid the tongues and teeth of Envy but if Calumnies must pass for Evidences the bravest Heroes must always be the most reproached persons in the world But God who takes care of Reputations as he does of Lives by the orders of his Providence confutes the slanderer that the memory of the righteous man might be embalm'd with Honour And so it hapned to this great man For by a publick warrantry by the concurrent consent of both Houses of Parliament the Libellous Petitions against him the false Records and publick Monuments of injurious shame were cancell'd and he was restor'd in integrum to that fame where his great Labours and just Procedures had first instated him Which though it was but justice yet it was also such an honour that it is greater than the virulence of tongues which Stratagem they did in part by open Force they turned the Bishop out of the Town and upon trifling and unjust pretences search'd his Carriages and took what they pleas'd till they were asham'd to take more However though the usage was sad yet it was recompenc'd to him by his taking Sanctuary in Oxford where he was graciously receiv'd by that most incomparable and divine Prince But having serv'd the King in Yorkshire by his Pen and by his Counsels and by his Interest he return'd back to Ireland where under the excellent conduct of his Grace the now Lord Lieutenant he ran the risque and fortune of oppressed Virtue 15. But God having still resolv'd to afflict us the good man was forced into the fortune of the Patriarchs to leave his Country and his Charges and seek for safety and bread in a strange Land He was not asham'd to suffer where the Cause was honourable and glorious Thus God provided for the needs of his banished and sent a man who could minister comfort to the afflicted and courage to the persecuted and resolution to the tempted and strength to that Religion for which they all suffered 16. And here this great man was indeed triumphant for so it was that he stood in publick and brave defence for the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England There wanted not diligent Tempters in the Church of Rome who taking advantage of the Afflictions of his Sacred Majesty in which state men commonly suspect every thing and like men in sickness are willing to change from side to side hoping for ease and finding none flew at Royal Game and hop'd to draw away the King from that Religion which his most Royal Father the best Man and the wisest Prince in the world had seal'd with the best Blood in Christendom and which himself suck'd in with his Education and had confirmed by choice and reason and confess'd publickly and bravely and hath since restor'd prosperously Millitier was the man witty and bold enough to attempt a zealous and a foolish undertaking and address'd himself with ignoble indeed but witty Arts to perswade the King to leave what was dearer to him than his eyes It is true it was a Wave dash'd against a Rock and an Arrow shot against the Sun it could not reach him but the Bishop of Derry turn'd it also and made it fall upon the Shooters head For he made so ingenious so learned and so acute Reply to that Book he so discover'd the Errours of the Roman Church retorted the Arguments stated the Questions demonstrated the Truth and shamed their Procedures that nothing could be a greater Argument of the Bishops Learning great Parts deep Judgment quickness of Apprehension and sincerity in the Catholick and Apostolick Faith or of the Follies and Prevarications of the Church of Rome 17. But this most Reverend Prelate found a nobler adversary and a braver Scene for his Contention He found that the Roman Priests being wearied and baffled by the wise Discourses and pungent Arguments of the English Divines studiously declin'd any more to dispute the particular questions against us but fell at last
Eloquence he applyed himself mainly to the study of Divinity and to the reading of Holy Scripture to which he ever attributed all Authority in matters of Faith and Controversies of Religion Yet he dilihently turned over the Writings of Modern Divines and such was his indefatigable pains within few years he read over all the sound and most useful Books of the Fathers both Greek and Latin setting himself a daily task which if he were interrupted and lost any time in his daily business by visit of friends his manner was to make it up by his night watchings But by this custom though he gained knowledge he impaired his health neither the firm constitution of his Body nor his temperate diet nor the Recreation he sometimes used by Shooting by Angling and when the season of the year would not suffer these by the Philosophical Game at Chess I say none of these could make amends for the injuries his health received from his immoderate Studies 6. However he pleased himself in the daily increase of his large stock of Learning and thereby was most dear to the Learned Master of his Colledge Doctor Whitgift not only intimate with him whilst he continued Master but after he was advanced to the highest place of the Church still accounted as a most beloved Son Together with daily and nightly reading of good Authors he was much and frequent in all exercises Common-placing in the Chappel CountryPreaching and Domestick Catechising in the same Colledge to which adde his three solemn Lectures for his degree of Batchelor in Divinity In all which I know not whether he shewed himself a more learned Divine or more pious Christian. 7. Those were but Specimens and Documents of his future excellencies For at the publick Commencement An. 1578. at St. Maries he preached the Latin-Sermon Learned Pious Eloquent Then he handled two Theological Questions and answer'd in the Schools solidly and subtilly to the satisfaction of all And yet they were not satisfied for our Whitaker was called again into the Battel to defend certain Theses which he did with great sufficiency against the opposition and assault of the Heads of Colledges and other the most able Doctors of the University 8. This Victory being obtained he rested himself a while in his Colledge yet so as to prepare himself for more work And that was cut out for him when by the remove of Doctor Chaderton from the Doctoral to the Episcopal Chair our Whitaker was chosen Regius Professor in his room the Electors passing by his Seniors and preferring him for his great reading and judgment surpassing his years and standing Although this high dignity was conferred on him not by his own ambitious suit but for his merit and worth and the good trial the University had of him yet his friends were a little doubtful how he would bear the Envy and burden of the place comforting themselves nevertheless and hoping good success as being assured by his Sobriety and Prudence in such years together with his industry in Studies and his unfeigned Piety and Devotion 9. Nor were they deceived in their hopes for no sooner had he settled him to his Lectures but they found all things in him requisite in an excellent Divine and a most exercised Professor various Reading sharp Judgment easie and pure Expression sound and solid Doctrine all these which indeed are all commendable shined forth in his first prelections Whereupon his Fame is spread through the University and the Students flock unto him in greater Numbers and attend with greater earnestness and write his Dictates His first endeavours were in the interpretation of the three first Chapters of St. Luke next he ran over all the Epistle to the Galatians then he attempted St. Pauls First to Timothy whence he proposed many useful observations for young Divines Lastly he explained the Song of Solomon And so laying aside the Interpretations of Scriptures An. 1585. Feb. 17. he began to bend his Forces to the Controversies of Religion between us and the Papists 10. But before this An. 1581. in his answer to Campians 10 Reasons he disarmed that vaunting Adversary and after him replyed to Duraeus who engaged in the quarrel on Campians behalf and stopped the mouth of that railer using such civility and wit and evidence in these two Books that himself was thereby much honoured and the Cause of our Church very much advantaged His next opposite was Saunders a notable English Papist against whose demonstrations of Antichrist our Whitaker published an Answer with an Appendix his Thesis de Antichristo when he commenced Doctor This Answer to Saunders gave him another Adversary Reynolds whose aspersions he vouchsafed to wipe off and then set upon a more noble Champion Bellarmine 11. And first he began with the Controversie de Scripturis which he proposed Methodically and treated on accurately in six questions published by himself An. 1588. So proceeding orderly he went through the Controversies De Ecclesia De conciliis De Romano pontifice De Ministris De Mortuis De Ecclesia Triumphante De Sacramentis De Baptismo De Eucharistia All which as he had handled with the Admiration and Applause of his Auditors so they wished he had time to revise them and set them forth in Print But the Professor being carried on with a desire of confuting Bellarmine throughout laid by his former Lectures expecting at length some convenient time to publish them which God was not pleased to afford him but took him away too soon for us from fighting his Battels in defence of truth to receive the Crown he had ready for him In all those Controversies his assiduity and diligence was very great reading twice or thrice every week in Term time except hindred by some weighty business which seldom happened and was carefully avoided He dealt with his Adversary civily and ingenuously not disparaging but making the best of his Arguments finding out and shewing the Knot and then dexterously untying it such was his Candor that Bellarmine himself is said to have gratefully acknowledged it 12. Nevertheless Stapleton Bellarmine being silent finding a sore place of his lib. 9. Princip Doct. gently touched by Whitaker kicks at him and casts upon him whole loads of Reproaches and Slanders without wit or modesty in a Book written as he pretends at his spare hours in answer to the third Question of the second Controversie To which Whitaker speedily prepares a Reply somewhat more sharp than his manner was for some Diseases must have strong Medicines and so fully and clearly refutes all his Reasons and Reproaches that the Lovain Doctor had no more spare hours not play days to write any more against Whitaker neither are those mad and unsavory words Doctor indocte disputator absurde professor asinine Magister mendax c any more heard touching the most perfect and most Modest Divine of our Age. 13. It is to be wished that the rest of Dr. Whitakers Writings may come to light namely several Sermons ad clerum
committed to this trusty Messenger intercepted the Doctor charged for holding intelligence and presently Voted both out of the Assembly and out of his Estate and Liberty 10. On September 30. a Warrant mentioning no Crime was brought from the Committee to commit the poor Doctor whom they so plundred that he had no more mony left him than one poor five shillings piece of Gold which he bestowed on the Officer that conducted him to Prison There skipped hastily into his Livings those who had long gaped for them While into Lambeth and Nye into Acton Many sad months did our Doctor spend in Prison wanting his sweet Air and the comfortable society of his Books and Friends and indeed all things except a good Conscience which might qualifie the bitterness of a tedious life 11. In the height of these his sufferings it happened that a Papist sent a bold Challenge abroad throwing dirt in the face of the Protestant Church The Parliament recommended the answering of it to our Doctor whom they knew to be well versed in the matters in question Had they first restored him to his Liberty and Estate this had been a just and noble encouragement But he was a poor Israelite under the Egyptian Yoke and must be content to abate the straw yet make the brick only they voted him the use of his Books three of them at one time and by this Vote his Library was a while preserved and himself diverted the irksomness of his sad Imprisonment To work he went and at length he finished and published his Answer to the Challenge Aug. 1. 1644. in a Book intituled Roma Ruens 12. Nor may I forget another Book which he had perfected and published the same year against the Anabaptists and other Sectaries called The Dipper Dipt Whereat the Sectaries being enraged and some others threw upon him a foul and odious aspersion That Dr. Featley was turn'd Papist To vindicate himself he publish'd his Manifesto and therein saith I have thought fit to make known to you all whom it may concern that being chosen Provost of Chelsey-Colledge I have under the Broad Seal of England a Warrant to buy have and keep all manner of Popish Books and that I never bought and kept any of them but to the end and purpose the betttr to inform my self to refute them c. 13. To which Vindication in the same Manifesto he adds this Challenge whereas I am certainly informed that aivers Lecturers and Preachers in London and the Suburbs who have entred upon the Labours of many worthy Divines and reaped their Harvests do in their Pulpits after a most insolent manner insult upon them demanding Where are they now that dare stand up in defence of Church-Hierarchy or Book of Common-Prayer or any way oppose or impugn the new intended Reformation both in Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England I do here protest that I do and will maintain by Disputation or Writing against any of them these three Conclusions viz. 1. That the Articles of Religion agreed upon in the year of our Lord 1562. by both Houses of Convocation and ratified by Queen Elizabeth need no alteration at all but only an Orthodox explication in some ambiguous phrases and a Vindication against false aspersions 2. That the Discipline of the Church of England established by many Laws and Acts of Parliament that is the Government by Bishops removing all Innovations and Abuses in the execution thereof is agreeable to Gods Word and a truly antient and Apostolical Institution 3. That there ought to be a set Form of Publick Prayer and that the Book of Common-Prayer the Ralendar being reformed in point of Apocryphal Saints and Chapters some Rubricks explained and some expressions revised and the whole correctedly Printed with all the Psalms Chapters and Allegations out of the Old and new Testament according to the last Translation is the most complete perfect and exact Liturgy now extant in the Christian World 14. Notwithstanding the great Service which the Doctor had done for the Church of England at the request of the Parliament by his Answer to that Popish Challenge in his Roma Ruens yet they suffered him to continue in Limbo in his old Prison But when through bad Air and bad Diet and ill Lodging and other inconveniences he fell into a Dropsie and other Diseases upon his humble Petition and his Physicians Certificate after sixteen weeks attendance of his Friends the House granted him an Order to remove to the fresh Air of Chelsey-Colledge for six weeks Thither he came about the beginning of March 1644. but neither Physick nor Air nor Diet nor better Lodging nor Company nor Cordials nor any thing else could remove his Diseases or give him hope of Recovery 15. There he spun out a short time in much Piety and Holy Exercises although wearied with pains and worn out with afflictions whereof none were so grievous to him as the presenr Distractions in the Church and State April 14. 1645. he set his House in order and made his Will beginning thus First for my soul I commend it to him whose due it is by a three-fold right My Creator who infused it into me my Redeemer who freely ransomed it with his dearest Blood my Sanctifier who assisteth me now in my greatest and latest assaults of temptations c. The next day he made a Confession of his Faith to Dr. Loe and others April 17. which was the last day of those six weeks his Enemies had allotted him his spirit waxed faint and drawing near to death he prayed thus Lord strike through the reins of them that rise against the Church and King and let them be as chaff before the wind c. But upon our gracious Sovereign and his posterity let the Crown flourish This said he is the hearty and earnest prayer of a poor sick Creature 16. With which words and many heavenly Ejaculations commending his Soul into the hands of his faithful Creator he fell asleep But his Nephew coming in caused a small dose of Cordial Spirits to be administred to him which made him once more to open his eyes and seeing the tears of his mourning Kinsman said Ah Cousin the poor Church of God is torn in pieces More he said not but sweetly and gently groaned out his wearied and fainting Spirit and resigned his Soul into the extended Arms of his merciful Redeemer 17. In Lambeth-Chappel according to his desire he was solemnly buried Dr. Loe preached the Sermon afterward Printed To add a short Character of his Person and Graces He was low of stature yet of a lovely graceful Countenance and of a convenient strength and health of Body of a most sweet disposition being affable and courteous to all without the least commixture of that sullen morosity which some men mistake for gravity He was generally free from all shews both of pride and anger only when he disputed with Hereticks and Schismaticks in defence of the Sacred Truth his Zeal and
dexterity made them unjustly suspect that he had been cholerick He was a Compendium of the learned Tongues and all the liberal Arts and Sciences most seriously and soundly pious and devout freely charitable both in giving and forgiving and a faithful and true Son of the Church of England Ob. An. AEt 65. VI. Walt. Norbane Esq From Dr. Haywood 1 HIS natural parts were so eminent by Gods great blessing as to out-strip many of his rank at School when he was a Child and being quickly removed from School to the University from the University to the Inns of Court he there grew so eminent as to be called to the Bar betimes with much honour daily increasing in repute and renown till he performed his publick Reading with great applause nor could he have missed the degree of a Serjeant had times been as favourable as his Worth was great 2. Though one of the youngest Sons of his Father and by a second Wife yet so highly he gained his Fathers good opinion by his constant dutifulfulness and his known ability and worth that long after the Death of his Mother his Father at his decease ordained him sole Executor left him all his personal Estate besides his proportion of Land suitable to the rest of his Children Which overplus bequeathed to him alone he yet with such Charity and Tenderness imparted to his Brothers again that of his meer voluntary goodness he gave them as I am informed to the value of two thousand pound 3. In his honest industry God so blest him that he grew to a fortune such as scant any of his Family had the like yet not to be charged for ought I could ever hear of ruining any Person or Family or rising by the fall and impoverishing of others but eminent for his faithful diligence and honest trustiness and wise secresie and abundant sufficiency in his profession so that great and eminent ones in the same profession and some elder than he have repaired to him for his opinion and to be assisted with his Advice 4. In all the time of his life and practice never heard I of any that could tax him of the least breach of trust of any extortion bribery or injustice or of being feed on both sides or for deserting any cause which he thought just for want of his poor Clients purse-ability Well might he say with Samuel Whose Oxe or whose Ass have I taken or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes withal Notable late instances might be given of this if particulars of this nature were fit here to be mentioned 5. His integrity so great and his abilities so eminent could not fail to have preferred him to a Seat of Judicature among the highest had not the tempest of the Wars cover'd him with a cloud Wherein yet he preferred his Conscience before all worldly ends nor followed any side because he thought it would prosper nor forsake that side when he saw it prospered not but persevered as he had first engaged and engaged not weakly but fervently actively and courageously And yet so prudently that though he suffer'd imprisonment and paid large Compositions yet he scaped easier than some that were less active So great was his Wisdom and in such esteem was his worth had by the adverse party I will not say he was courted by some of them to accept of preferment among them but such things have been averred in my hearing and to my knowledge his constancy was such the world could not have wrought him to accept of promotion against his Conscience for all that was offer'd to our Saviour upon the Mountain 6. During the time of Wars and troubles though he were far in years yet he made no haste to marry no nor in times more quiet before the to fail him and newer customs to creep in which he fansied not a devout receiver of the Blessed Sacrament and a frequent Communicant in publick when he might receive it in the beauty of Holiness as he desired to see it Seldom failed he at three Solemn times of the year especially to make one at the Commumunion if he were in the Country 10. To the suffering party of the Clergy to those of his own perswasion very loving kind respectful and bountiful To none of any sort as I know uncivil though in more special manner he favoured and countenanced Divines of known Learning Gravity and Experience not much respecting other whom he thought time-serving hypocritical ignorant raw or scandalous 11. A friend to peace he was though his Profession rather thrived by strife a willing reconciler and taker up of differences where both parties would hear reason rather than a prolonger of suits A man such as Moses would have chosen for a Judge fearing God and hating covetousness hating it not only in himself but in others yea not caring to my knowledge to displease some of his very good friends where he thought them too worldly inclined Very bountiful he was to the poor himself and would fain have had all of ability like him Far from flattering lying and soothing up Loving Truth and delighted in them that loved it as one rightly sensible of the great calamities this Kingdom hath been involved in through the licentious and unconscionable liberty of lying tongues 12. Therefore was he honoured and respected far and near scant a Nobleman or Gentleman in these parts that made not much use of him and frequently as their occasions required resorted to him So that he was the eminent Beauty Ornament and shelter of this poor place wherein he liv'd a staff to the poor a Counsellor to the rich a sanctuary to the oppressed a terrour to the unconscionable deceitful and worldly minded a comfort to those in need and to such as for need desired his help 13. Our hearts sorrow it was that so soon in his bodily health he began to decline having yet scant added three years to threescore but to his joy in the end it proved I doubt not Near upon two years I have perceived him declining when as his outward man perished so his inward man seemed to renew day by day During which time he exercised his Piety addressing himself to read Books of Religion his justice paying every one his own And the four Virtues of the Cross Humility Charity Patience and Constancy appeared more and more to manifest themselves in him the nearer he drew to his end 14. Humility for he was courteous to the meanest ready to put off and yield reverence to any as fast as any to him nay to prevent in courtesie and to give place to some his inferiours Charity for he exceeded in bounty to the poor witness his last charitable gift to this Parish and divers pious Legacies in his Will to the value well nigh of a thousand pound Witness his loving invitation of his poor Neighbours in his weakness at Christmass last even when himself could not eat yet it joyed him to walk by and see
Christian. And by these he soon got a great Reputation among all persons of judgment and indifferency and his Name will grow greater still as the world grows better and wiser 8. When he had spent some years in this retirement it pleased God to visit his Family with Sickness and to take to himself the dear pledges of his favour three Sons of great hopes and expectations within the space of two or three months And though he had learn'd a quiet submission unto the Divine will yet the Affliction touch'd him so sensibly that it made him desirous to leave the Country And going to London he there met my Lord Conway a person of great Honour and Generosity who making a kind profer the good man embrac'd it and that brought him over into Ireland and settled him at Portmore a place made for study and contemplation which he therefore dearly loved And here he wrote his Cases of Conscience a Book that is able alone to give its Author Immortality 9. By this time the wheel of Providence brought about the Kings happy Restauration and there began a new world and the Spirit of God mov'd upon the face of the Waters and out of a confused Chaos brought forth Beauty and Order and all the three Nations were inspir'd with a new Life and became Drunk with an excess of Joy Among the rest this Loyal Subject went over to Congratulate the Prince and Peoples Happiness and bear a part in the Universal Triumph 10. It was not long after his Sacred Majesty began the settlement of the Church and the Great Doctor Jeremey Taylor was resolv'd upon for the Bishoprick of Down and Conor and not long after Dromore was added to it And it was but reasonable that the King and Church should consider their Champion and reward the pains and sufferings he underwent in the defence of their Cause and Honour 11. With what care and faithfulness he discharg'd his Office we are all his witnesses what good Rules and Directions he gave his Clergy and how he taught us the practice of them by his own Example Upon his coming over Bishop he was made a Privy Counsellor and the University of Dublin gave him their Testimony by recommending him for their Vice-Chancellor which honourable Office he kept to his dying day 12. During his being in this See he wrote several excellent Discourses particularly his Disswasive from Popery which was received by a general Approbation and a Vindication of it from some impertinent Cavillers that pretend to answer Books when there is nothing towards it more than the very Title Page 13. This great Prelate improv'd his Talent with a mighty industry and managed his Stewardship rarely well and his Master when he call'd for his Accounts found him busie and at his work and employ'd upon an excellent Subject A Discourse upon the Beatitudes Which if finish'd would have been of great use to the world and solv'd most of the Cases of Conscience that occur to a Christian in all the varieties of states and conditions But the All-wise God hath ordained it otherwise and hath call'd home his good Servant to give him a portion in that blessedness that Jesus Christ hath promised to all his faithful Disciples and Followers 14. Thus having given you a brief account of his Life I will add a Character of his person although the Subject can hardly be reach'd by any expressions for he was none of Gods ordinary works but his Endowments were so many and so great as really made him a Miracle 15. Nature had befriended him much in his constitution for he was a person of a most sweet and obliging Humour of great Candour and ingenuity and there was so much of Salt and fineness of Wit and prettiness of address in his familiar Discourses as made his Conversation have all the pleasantness of a Comedy and all the usefulness of a Sermon His Soul was made up of Harmony and he never spake but he charm'd his Hearer not only with the clearness of his Reason but all his words and his very Tone and Cadencies were strangely Musical 16. But that which did most of all captivate and enrich was the gaiety and richness of his Fansie For he had much in him of that natural Enthusiasm that inspires all great Poets and Orators and there was a generous ferment in his Blood and Spirits that set his Fansie bravely a work and made it swell and teem and become pregnant to such degrees of Luxuriancy as nothing but the greatness of his Wit and Judgment could have kept it within due bounds and measures 17. And indeed it was a rare mixture and a single instance hardly to be found in any Age. For the great Tryer of Wits has told us That there is a peculiar and several Complexion requir'd for Wit and Judgment and Fansie and yet you might have found all these in this great Personage in their eminency and perfection 18. But that which made his Wit and Judgment so considerable was the largeness and freedom of his Spirit For Truth is plain and easie to a mind disintangled from Superstition and prejudice He was one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sort of brave Philosophers that Laërtius speaks of that did not addict themselves to any particular Sect but ingenuously sought for Truth among all the wrangling Schools And they found her miserably torn and rent to pieces and parcell'd into rags by the several contending parties and so dis-figur'd and mishapen that it was hard to know her but they made a shift to gather up her scatter'd Limbs which as soon as they came together by a strange sympathy and connaturalness presently united into a lovely and beautiful Body 19. This was the Spirit of this great man he weighed mens Reasons and not their Names and was not scar'd with the ugly Vizars men usually put upon persons they hate and opinions they dislike nor affrighted with the Anathema's and Execrations of an Infallible Chair which he looked upon only as Bugbears to terrifie weak and childish minds He consider'd that it is not likely any one party should wholly engross Truth to themselves that Obedience is the only way to true knowledge which is an Argument that he hath manag'd rarely well in that excellent Sermon of his which he calls Via intelligentiae that God always and only teaches docible and ingenuous minds that are willing to hear and ready to obey according to their Light that it is impossible a pure humble resigned God-like Seul should be kept out of Heav'n whatever mistakes it might be subject to in this state of Mortality that the design of Heav'n is not to fill mens Heads and feed their Curiosities but to better their Hearts and mend their Lives Such considerations as these made him impartial in his disquisitions and give a due allowance to the Reasons of his Adversary and contend for Truth and not for Victory 20. To these advantages of Nature and excellency of
his Spirit he added an indefatigable Industry and God gave a plentiful Benediction for there were very few kinds of Learning but he was a Mystes and a great Master in them 21. He was a rare Humanist and hugely verst in all the polite parts of Learning and had throughly concocted all the antient Moralists Greek and Roman Poets and Orators and was not unacquainted with the refined Wits of the later Ages whether French or Italian 22. But he had not only the Accomplishments of a Gentleman but so universal were his parts that they were proportion'd to every thing And though his Spirit and Humour were made up of smoothness and gentleness yet he could bear with the harshness and roughness of the Schools and was not unseen in their subtilties and spinosities and upon occasion could make them serve his purpose And yet I believe he thought many of them very near a kin to the Famous Knight of the Muncha and would make sport sometimes with the Romantick Sophistry and phantastick Adventures of School-Errantry 23. His skill was great both in the Civil and Canon Law and Casuistical Divinity And he was a rare conductor of Souls and knew how to counsel and to advise to solve difficulties and determine Cases and quiet Consciences And he was no Novice in Mr. S.'s new Science of Controversie but could manage an Argument and make reparties with a strange dexterity He understood what the several Parties in Christendom have to say for themselves and could plead their cause to better advantage than any Advocate of their Tribe and when he had done he could confute them too and shew that better Arguments than ever they could produce for themselves would afford no sufficient ground for their fond Opinions 24. I shall adde only his great acquaintance with the Fathers and Ecclesiastical Writers and the Doctors of the first and purest Ages both of the Greek and Latin Church which he has made use of against the Romanists to vindicate the Church of England from the Challenge of Innovation and prove her to be truly Antient Catholick and Apostolical 25. But Religion and Virtùe is the Crown of all other Accomplishments and it was the Glory of this great man to be thought a Christian and whatever you added to it he look'd upon as a term of diminution And yet he was a zealous Son of the Church of England but that was because he judg'd her and with great reason a Church the most purely Christian of any in the world 26. In his younger years he met with some assaults from Popery and the high pretensions of their Religious Orders were very accommodate to his devotional Temper But he was always so much Master of himself that he would never be govern'd by any thing but Reason and the evidence of Truth which engag'd him in the study of those Controversies and to how good purpose the world by this time a sufficient witness But the longer and the more he consider'd the worse he lik'd the Roman Cause and became at last to censure them with some severity but I confess I have so great an opinion of his Judgment and the Charitableness of his Spirit that I am afraid he did not think worse of them than they deserve 27. But Religion is not matter of Theory and Orthodox Notions and it is not enough to believe aright but we must practice accordingly and to Master our Passions and to make a right use of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and power that God has given us over our own actions is a greater glory than all other Accomplishments that can adorn the mind of man And therefore I shall close my Character of this great Personage with a touch upon some of those Virtues for which his Memory will be precious to all Posterity 28. He was a person of great Humility and notwithstanding his stupendious Parts and Learning and eminency of place he had nothing in him of Pride and Humour but was courteous and affable and of easie access and would lend a ready ear to the Complaints yea to the impertinences of the meanest persons 29. His Humility was coupled with an extraordinary Piety and I believe he spent the greatest part of his time in Heaven His solemn hours of Prayer took up a considerable portion of his life and we are not to doubt but he had learn'd of St. Paul to pray continually and that occasional ejaculations and frequent aspirations and emigrations of his Soul after God made up the best part of his Devotions 30. But he was not only a good man God-ward but he was come to the top of St. Peters Gradation and to all his other Virtues added a large and diffusive Charity And whoever compares his plentiful Incomes with the inconsiderable estate he left at his Death will be easily convinc'd that Charity was steward for a great proportion of his Revenue But the Hungry that he fed and the Naked that he cloath'd and the distress'd that he supply'd and the fatherless that he provided for the poor Children that he put to Apprentice and brought up at school and maintain'd at the University will not sound a Trumpet to that Charity which he dispersed with his right hand but wouldnot suffer his left hand to have any knowledge of it 31. To sum up all in a few words This Great Prelate had the Good Humour of a Gentleman the Eloquence of an Orator the Fansie of a Poet the acuteness of a Schoolman The profoundness of a Philosopher the Wisdom of a Chancellor the Sagacity of a Prophet the Reason of an Angel and the Piety of a Saint He had Devotion enough for a Cloister Learning enough for an University and Wit enough for a Colledge of Virtuosi And had his Parts and Endowments been parcell'd out among his poor Clergy that he left behind him it would perhaps have made one of the best Diocese in the world 32. But alas Our Father Our Father The Horses of our Israel and the Chariot thereof He is gone and has carried his Mantle and his Spirit along with him up to Heaven and the Sons of the Prophets have lost all their beauty and lustre which they enjoy'd only from the reflection of his Excellencies which were bright and radiant enough to cast a glory upon a whole order of Men. But the Sun of this our world after many attempts to break through the crust of an earthly Body is at last swallow'd up in the great Vortex of Eternity and there all his Maculae are scatter'd and dissolv'd and he is fix'd in an Orb of Glory and shines among his Brethren-stars that in their several Ages gave Light to the world and turn'd many Souls unto Righteousness 33. And we that are left behind though we can never reach his perfections must study to imitate his Virtues that we may at last come to sit at his feet in the Mansions of Glory which God grant for his infinite Mercies in Jesus Christ. Ob. Aug. 13. 1667. Soli Deo Gloria FINIS * Duacens Praef. ad Lib. de triplici Hom. officio * See a former Vol. * AEnea Pila Diog. Laert. * Archbish Laud B Mentague B. Lindsey Mr. John Selden c. * Jo. Antioch hist. tran out of Greek into Latine with Annot.