delivered a funeral oration, in which he gave him the following character: "However others admired his knowledge, lowliness of mind, and incredible abstinence, in all which he excelled, as even exceeded wonder; yet I do, and ever shall, chiefly admire his slighting and neglecting all ways of preferment. Neither Luther, nor Calvin, nor Beza, nor Whitaker, can challenge any honour which Rainolds hath not merited. I cannot but exceedingly congratulate our country, where he was born, our mother the university, where he was educated, and that most pregnant house of excellent wits, where he learned the first rudiments of most exquisite literature." Dr. Crackenthorp, bis intimate acquaintance, gave this account of him: "He turned over all writers, profane, ecclesiastical, and divine; and all the councils, fathers, and histories of the church. He was most excellent in all tongues, useful or ornamental to a divine. He had a sharp and ready wit, a grave and mature judgment, and was indefatigably industrious. He was so well skilled in all arts and sciences, as if he had spent his whole life in each of them. And as to virtue, integrity, piety, and sanctity of life, he was so eminent and conspicuous, that to name Rainolds is to commend virtue itself."+ Bishop Hall used to say, "That Dr. Rainolds alone was a well-furnished library, full of all faculties, all studies, and all learning; and that his memory and reading were nearly a miracle." And our author adds," he was a prodigy in reading, famous in doctrine, and the very treasury of erudition; and in a word, nothing can be spoken against him, only that he was the pillar of puritanism, and the grand favourer of nonconformity."‡ Indeed, Fuller insinuates, and Dr. Crackenthorp laboured to prove, that he was not a puritan, but an exact conformist. In this, however, they have proved unsuccessful. For, besides subscribing the "Book of Discipline," he utterly disapproved of certain ecclesiastical ceremonies; and though he wore the round cap as a collegian, he refused, wearing the clerical habits. Granger says, that Dr. Rainolds was generally reputed the greatest scholar of his age and country; that his memory was so retentive, he hardly knew what it was to forget; that he * Fuller's Abel. Red. p. 496. Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 290. Ibid. p. 483, 484. Fuller's Church Hist. b. x. p. 48. Barksdale's Remembrancer, p. 9-11. Edit. 1670, MS. Remarks on Hist. p. 88. (8.) was esteemed a match for Bellarmine, the Goliah of the church of Rome; and that he was styled a living library, or a third university.* His WORKS.-1. Two Orations, 1576.-2. Six Theses, 1579.3. A Sermon on the Destruction of the Idumeans, 1584.-4. A Sermon to the Scholars of the University, 1586.—5. The Sum of a Conference between John Rainolds and John Hart, 1588.-6. De Romanæ Ecclesiæ Idolatria, 1596.-7. The Overthrow of Stageplays, 1599.-8. An Apologie of his Theses, 1602.-9. An Epistle to Thomas Pye, 1606.-10. A Defence of the Judgment of the Reformed Churches, 1609.-11. Censura Librorum Apocryphorum veteris Testamenti, 1611.-12. The Prophesie of Obadiah opened and applied, 1613.-13. Letter to his Friend, concerning the Study of Divinity, 1613.-14. Orationes Duodecem, 1638.-15. The Discovery of the Man of Sin, 1641.-16. A Letter to Sir Francis Knollys, 1641.17. The Original of Bishops and Metropolitans briefly laid open, 1641.-18. Judgment concerning Episcopacy, 1641.-19. The Prophesie of Haggai interpreted and applied, 1649.-20. Commentarii in tres bib. Aristot. De Retorica.-21. Answer to Nich. Saunders his Books, De Schismate Anglicano, in Defence of our Reformation.— 22. A Defence of our English Liturgy against Rob. Browne his Schismatical Book.-23. A Treatise of the Beginning and Progress of the Popish Errors. He also published several Translations of the works of other learned men. THOMAS BRIGHTMAN was born at Nottingham, in the year 1556, and educated in Queen's college, Cambridge, where he became fellow. Though he was a champion in the cause of nonconformity, he did not despise those of the contrary sentiments, but was charitable to all who differed from him in matters of discipline and ceremonies.+ Upon his leaving the university, he was presented by Sir John Osbourne, a man of great learning and piety, to the rectory of Hawnes in Bedfordshire, where he spent the remainder of his days in hard study, and a constant application to his pastoral duties. Sir John was his constant and liberal benefactor. He was a man of a most angelical life, and uncommon learning, which was acknowledged even by his enemies. He lived so much under the influence of divine grace, that he was never known to be angry; and always carried with him his Greek Testament, which he read through regularly once a fortnight. His daily conversation was against the episcopal government, which he declared would shortly come down. Though Mr. * Biographical Hist. vol. i. p. 212. He is, by mistake, called William.- -Fuller's Worthies, part ii. p. 319, 320. Fuller's Church Hist. b. x. p. 49, 50. - Brightman wrote against the prelacy and ceremonies of the church, and subscribed the "Book of Discipline," he was no friend to separation. He published a "Disputation about Antichrist;" a " Refutation of Bellarmine;" a "Commentary of the Song of Solomon ;" and another on the "Revelation of St. John." "This last," says Granger, "made a great noise in the world." In that book, he makes Archbishop Cranmer the angel having power over the fire, the Lord Cromwell the angel which came out of the temple of heaven, having the sharp sickle, and the Lord Treasurer Cecil the angel of the waters, justifying the pouring out the third vial. The church of England is the lukewarm church of Laodicea; and the angel that God loved, is the anti-episcopal church of Geneva, and that of Scotland: and the power of the prelacy is antichrist. In the reign of Charles I. he adds, when the bishops were expelled the house of peers, and several of them imprisoned, Brightman was cried up for an inspired writer, and an abridgment of his book was printed in 1644, entitled "The Revelation of the Revelation."+ He desired to die a sudden death, and the Lord granted him his desire. He died very suddenly, as he was travelling with Sir John Osbourne in his coach, with a book in his hand, August 24, 1607, aged fifty-one years. Fuller has classed him among the learned writers of Queen's college, Cambridge. He was a most pious, laborious, and learned divine; whom Mr. Cartwright used to denominate "the bright star in the church of God." Dr. Buckley preached his funeral sermon, RICHARD MAUNSEL was minister of Yarmouth, and severely persecuted, together with Mr. Thomas Lad, a merchant of that place. They were brought before the Chancellor of Norwich, for a supposed conventicle; because, on the Lord's day, after public worship, they joined with Mr. Jackler, their late minister, in repeating the heads of the sermons which had that day been preached in the church. Mr. Lad was compelled, upon his oath, to answer certain articles relating to the supposed conventicle, which he could not see till after he had taken the oath. Having been twice convened before the chancellor, he was carried before the high commission at Lam *Neal's Puritans, vol. i. p. 423. + Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. i. p. 220. Hist. of Cam. p. 8. beth, and required to answer, upon a new oath, such inquiries as his ecclesiastical judges were pleased to propose. This, indeed, he refused without a sight of his former answers; and was, therefore, cast into prison, where he remained a long time, without being admitted to bail. Mr. Maunsel was further charged with signing a petition to the house of commons, and with refusing the oath ex officio; for which he was treated in the same manner. Having suffered a long and painful confinement, the prisoners, about the year 1607, were brought to the bar upon a writ of habeas corpus; and having Nicholas Fuller, esq. a bencher of Gray's-inn, and a most learned man in his profession, for their counsel, he moved, that the prisoners ought to be released; because the high commissioners were not empowered by law to imprison, or to administer the oath ex officio, or to fine any of his majesty's subjects. These points he laboured to prove in a most learned, argumentative, and perspicuous manner, which was looked upon as an unpardonable crime; and instead of serving his clients, brought the heavy indignation of the commissioners upon himself. Archbishop Bancroft, now at the head of the high commission, told the king, that Fuller was the champion of the nonconformists; and, therefore, ought to be made a public example, to terrify others from appearing hereafter in defence of the puritans.+ Accordingly, he was shut up in close prison; from whence, neither by the intercession of friends, nor by his own most humble supplications, could he obtain release; but after close confinement about twelve years, he died in prison, February 23, 1619, aged seventy-six years. What became of Mr. Maunsel and Mr. Lad, his clients; whether after their trial they were released, or suffered some other punishment, we have not been able to learn. *Fuller's Argument in the case of Thomas Lad and Richard Maunsel, edit. 1607.-This most learned, curious, and valuable Tract, consisting of 32 pages in quarto, was republished in 1641. +Fuller's Church Hist. b. x. p. 56. Nicholas Fuller was member of the parliament of 1603, when he brought in two bills: the one concerning Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, the other concerning Subscription; both with a view to ease the burdens of the persecuted puritans. He was a person of great learning and piety; and finding the nonconformists grievously oppressed in their liberties, their estates, and their consciences, contrary to law, he laboured both in the house of commons, and in the courts of judicature, to procure their deliverance from the cruel oppressions of their persecutors.-MS. Chronology, vol. ii. p. 667. (2.) THOMAS WILCOCKS, A. M.-This celebrated divine was born about the year 1549, and educated in St. John's college, Oxford. Upon his leaving the university, he became a learned, zealous, and useful preacher in Honeylane, London. In the year 1572, he was an active person in the erection of the presbyterian church at Wandsworth in Surrey. During the same year he was brought into much trouble for his nonconformity. The puritans having for a long time sought in vain to the queen and prelates, for a further reformation of the church, now resolved to apply to the parliament. Accordingly, Mr. Wilcocks and Mr. John Field published "An Admonition to the Parliament, which they presented to the house of commons with their own hands. Though the book was much esteemed, and soon passed through four editions, the authors were apprehended and committed to Newgate, where they remained a long time, in close and miserable confinement. A particular account of these cruel proceedings, together with their other troubles, will be found in another place.t The character and sentiments of these excellent divines having greatly suffered by reproach, they published a vindication of themselves, against the false imputations of unsound doctrine, and disloyalty to the queen. The piece is entitled "A Copie of a Letter, with a Confession of Faith, written by two faithful Servants of God, unto an honourable and virtuous Ladie." It is subscribed with their own hands; but whether it was published before, or during their imprisonment, we are not able to learn. It is, however, a different confession from that which is noticed in the place referred to above, but was penned most probably on the same occasion. During their confinement in Newgate, Archbishop Parker sent his chaplain, one Pearson, to confer with them. This conference, dated September 11, 1572, was in the presence of Mr. Mondes their keeper, and is as follows: Pearson. Is your name Wilcocks? Wilcocks, Yes, verily. P. I desire to become acquainted with you; for I know you not. W. Neither do I know you. * Mr. Thomas Woodcock, a bookseller in London, for vending the Admonition, was, at the same time, committed to Newgate by Bishop Aylmer. Strype's Aylmer, p. 57. See Art. Field. Parte of a Register, p, 528-546. |