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"nal, before which they fhall appear; on earth they are not accountable to any." Here,' fays the doctor, it breaks off abruptly.'

And I have thefe words alfo attefted under the hand of Mr. Fabian Philips, a man of note for his useful books:

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"I will make oath if I fhall be required, that Dr. Sanderfon the late Bi"fhop of Lincoln did, a little before his death, affirm to me he had feen a manufcript, affirmed to him to be the hand-writing of Mr. Richard "Hooker, in which there was no mention made of the king or fupreme governors being accountable to the people; this I will make oath that "that good man attested to me. FABIAN PHILIPS."

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So that there appears to be both omiffions and additions in the faid laft three printed books; and this may probably be one reafon why Dr. Sanderson, the said learned bishop (whose writings are fo highly and justly valued), gave a strict charge near the time of his death, or in his laft will, "that nothing of his, that was not already printed, fhould be printed after "his death."

It is well known how high a value our learned King James put upon the books writ by Mr. Hooker, as also that our late King Charles (the martyr for the church) valued them the fecond of all books, teftified by his commending them to the reading of his fon Charles, that now is our gracious King;

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• A barrister of fome eminence in his profeffion, and noted for his loyalty. From his diligent fearch of records and papers depofited in the public offices, he obtained a moft extenfive knowledge of the history and antiquities of England. When the bill for taking away the tenures was depending in Parliament, he published a work highly valued by profeffional readers; "Tenenda non Tollenda; or, the Neceffity of preferving Tenures in Capite," &c. London, 1660. 4to. He was also the author of " Veritas Inconcuffa; or, a most certain Truth af"ferted, that King Charles I. was no Man of Blood, but a Martyr for his People." He concludes this tract with the following extraordinary paffage: "The Scavern, Thames, Trent, and "Humber, four of the greatest rivers of the kingdom, with all their leffer running ftreams of "the island in their continual courfes, and thofe huge heaps of water in the ocean and girdle "of it, in their reftlefs agitations, will never be able to fcour and wash away the guilt and stain "of it (the King's death), though all the rains which the clouds fhall ever bring forth and in"part to this nation, and the tears of thofe that bewail the lofs of a King of fo eminent graces "and perfection fhall be added to it."

f Dr. Gauden in his Dedication of Mr. Hooker's Works to Charles II. thus addrefies the King: "Ifhall need nothing more to ingratiate this incomparable piece to your Majesty's ac"ceptance

King; and you may fuppofe that this Charles I. was not a ftranger to the pretended three books, because in a difcourfe with the Lord Say", when the faid lord required the King to grant the truth of his argument, because it was the judgment of Mr. Hooker (quoting him in one of the three written books), the King replied, "they were not allowed to be Mr. Hooker's books; but "however he would allow them to be Mr. Hooker's, and consent to what his Lordship propofed to prove out of thofe doubtful books, if he would "but consent to the judgment of Mr. Hooker, in the other five, that were "the undoubted books of Mr. Hooker."

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In this relation concerning these three doubtful books of Mr. Hooker, my purpose was to inquire, then fet down what I obferved and know, which I have done, not as an engaged perfon, but indifferently; and now leave my reader to give fentence, for their legitimation, as to himself, but fo as to leave others the fame liberty of believing, or difbelieving them to be Mr. Hooker's. And it is obfervable, that as Mr. Hooker advised with Dr. Spencer, in the design and manage of these books, so also, and chiefly with his dear pupil George Cranmer (whofe fifter was the wife of Dr. Spencer), of which this following letter may be a testimony; and doth also give authority to fome things mentioned both in the Appendix, and in the Life of Mr. Hooker; and is therefore added.

CON

"ceptance, and all the English world's, than the high commendations it hath ever had from your Majefty's royal father; who, a few days before he was crowned with martyrdom, "commended to his dearest children the diligent reading of Mr. Hooker's Ecclefiaftical Po66 lity," even next the Bible; as an excellent means to settle them in the truth of religion, and "in the peace of the church, as much Christian and as well reformed as any under heaven: as "if God had reserved this signal honour to be done by the best of kings and greatest of fuffer"ers for this church, to him who was one of the best writers and ablest defenders of it."

A clofe and ambitious man, an enemy to the church of England, and defirous of its diffolution. His violent fpeech against bishops is inferted in "Nalfon's Collections," &c. Vol. II. page 266; and that against Archbishop Laud, with the Archbishop's Answer in "Laud's "Hiftory of his Troubles," &c. page 470. Nathaniel Fiennes, his favourite fon, was a most violent enemy to Epifcopacy and monarchy, being one of thofe called Root and Branch Men. Though this nobleman was the principal fomenter of the civil war, and entertained the most extravagant ideas of civil liberty, he found himself fo unhappy under the new government, that he retired voluntarily to the Ifle of Lundy, and exerted himfelf in promoting the restoration of Charles II He afterward received a reward much fuperior to his merit-the privy feal; the appointment to which gave great offence to many of the cavaliers.

CONCERNINGE

THE NEW CHURCH DISCIPLINE,

AN EXCELLENT LETTER,

WRITTEN BY MR. GEORGE CRANMER TO MR. R. H

FEBRUARY MDXCVIII.

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HAT posterity is likely to judge of these matters concerning churchdiscipline, we may the better conjecture, if we call to mind what. our own age, within a few years, upon better experience, hath already judged concerning the fame. It may be remembered that at first, the greatest part of the learned in the land were either eagerly affected, or favourably inclined that way. The books then written for the most part favoured of the disciplinary style; it founded every where in pulpits, and in the common phrase of men's fpeech. The contrary part began to fear. they had taken a wrong course, many which impugned the discipline, yet so impugned it, not as being the better form of government, but as not so convenient for our ftate, in regard of dangerous innovations thereby likely to grow. One man alone' there was to speak of (whom let no fufpicion of flattery deprive of his deserved commendation), who, in the diffidence of the one part, and courage of the other, ftood in the gap, and gave others respite to prepare themselves to their defence; which by the fudden eagernefs and violence of their adverfaries had otherwife been prevented.Wherein:

This letter is reprinted from the original edition in 1642.

i Anthony Wood tells us, that he was informed by Mr. Ifaac Walton, that Mr. George Cranmer had written many other things befides this letter, but that they were kept private to the great prejudice of the public. (Ath. Ox. Vol. I. col. 306.)

* Namely, the discipline established by Calvin in the church of Geneva,

Archbishop Whitgift.

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Wherein God hath made good unto him his own emprefs,

"Vincit qui patitur:" for what contumelious indignities he hath at their hands fuftained, the world is witnefs; and what reward of honour above his adverfaries God hath beftowed upon him, themfelves (though nothing glad thereof) muft needs confefs. Now of late years the heat of men towards the difcipline is greatly decayed; their judgments begin to fway on the other fide; the learned have weighed it, and found it light; wife men conceive fome fear, left it prove not only not the best kind of government, but the very bane and deftruction of all government. The caufe of this change in men's opinions may be drawn from the general nature of error, difguifed and clothed with the name of truth; which is mightily and violently to poffefs men at firft; but afterward, the weakness thereof being by time difcovered, to lofe that reputation which before it had gained. As 'by the outfide of a house the paffers by are oftentimes deceived, till they fee the conveniency of the rooms within; fo, by the very name of difcipline and reformation, men were drawn at first to caft a fancy towards it, but now they have not contented themselves only to pafs by and behold afar off the forefront of this reformed house; they have entered in, even at the special request of the mafter workmen and chief builders thereof: they have per- ufed the rooms, the lights, the conveniences; they find them not anfwerable to that report which was made of them, nor to that opinion which upon report they had conceived. So as now the difcipline, which at firft triumphed over all, being unmasked, beginneth to droop and hang down her head.

This caufe of change in opinion concerning the difcipline is proper to the learned, or to fuch as by them have been inftructed. Another caufe there is more open and more apparent to the view of all, namely, the courfe of practice which the reformers" have had with us from the beginning. The first degree was only fome fmall difference about cap and furplice, but not fuch as either bred divifion in the church, or tended to the ruin of the government then established. This was peaceable; the

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The Prefbyterian party who feemed at that time to take their only measure of truth from oppofition to and distance from the church of Rome, thinking nothing good therein; or, if there was, yet ftill to be rejected on account of what therein was evil.

next degree more ftirring. Admonitions were directed to the Parliament in peremptory fort against our whole form of regiment. In defence of them volumes were published in English, in Latin: Yet this was no more than writing. Devices were fet on foot to erect the practice of the difcipline without authority; yet herein fome regard of modefty, fome moderation was used. Behold, at length it brake forth into open outrage, first in writing by Martin": in whose kind of dealing, these things may be obferved: 1. That whereas T. C.° and others his great mafters, had always before fet out the difcipline as a queen, and as the daughter of God, he contrariwife, to make her more acceptable to the people, brought her forth as a Vice upon the stage". 2. Which conceit of his was grounded (as may be fuppofed) upon this rare policy, that feeing the difcipline was by writing refuted, in Parliament rejected, in fecret corners hunted out and defcried, it was imagined that by open railing (which to the vulgar is commonly moft plausible) the ftate ecclefiaftical might have been drawn into fuch contempt and hatred, as the overthrow thereof fhould have been moft grateful to all men, and in a manner defired of the common people. 3. It may be noted (and this I know myself to be true) how fome of them, although they could not for fhame approve fo lewd an action, yet were content to lay hold on it to the advancement of their caufe, acknowledging therein the fecret judgments of God against the bishops, and hoping that fome good might

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n Mr. Hooker, when he is fpeaking" of the fcurrilous and more than fatirical immodefty "of Martinifm," tells his reader that "the first published schedules thereof being brought to "the hands of a grave and very honourable knight, with fignification given, that the book "would refresh his fpirits, he took it, faw what the title was, read over an unfavourie fentence "or two, and delivered back the libel with this anfwer, I am forie you are of the mind to "bee folaced with thefe fports, and forrier you have herein thought mine affection to be like "your own." (Hooker's Epift. Dedic. to Archbishop Whitgift.)

• Thomas Cartwright, the author and publifher of "The Admonition to the Parliament," printed in 1572, with the approbation and assistance of the whole party, and fully answered and confuted paragraph by paragraph by Dr. Whitgift in the fame year.

P Vice was the fool of the old moralities, with his dagger of lath, a long coat, and a cap with a pair of afs's ears. (See Shakespear's Twelfth Night, Act IV. Sc. iv.)

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