were so far from being affluent, that the dean, in considera. tion of his poverty, had now for two years past taken upon himself the maintenance of one of his sons. This applica tion, however, in behalf of Dr. Whitaker, whatever might be the reason of it, proved unsuccessful.* 66 Some of our historians affirm, that this celebrated divine was not a puritan; for which, indeed, they produce very little evidence, or rather no substantial evidence whatever. That which is commonly pleaded for evidence in this case, is Dr. Whitaker's letter to Dr. Whitgift, in which he gives his sentiments with great freedom,concerning Mr.Cartwright and his opinions, as follows:-" I have read," saith he, a great part of that book (Cartwright's second Reply) which Mr. Cartwright lately published. I pray God I live not, if ever I saw any thing more loosely and almost more childishly written. It is true that for words, he hath great store, and those both fine and new: but for matter, as far as I can judge, he is altogether barren. Moreover, he doth not only think perversely of the authority of princes, in causes ecclesiastical, but also flicth into the holds of the papists, from whom he would be thought to dissent with a mortal hatred. But in this point he is not to be endured: and in other parts also he borroweth his arguments from the papists. He playeth with words, and is lame in his sentences, and is altogether unworthy to be confuted by any man of learning.' Our author adds, that Dr. Whitaker wrote this letter about the time that he began to write against Campian.+ And what does the whole of it prove? It is designed to reproach Mr. Cartwright, his book, and his sentiments, and to prove Dr. Whitaker to have been no puritan, of which it certainly contains no substantial evidence. For, admitting the letter to be genuine, it only contains Dr. Whitaker's opinion of Mr. Cartwright and his publication, and no evidence either for or against the puritanism of the writer. But there is some reason to suspect that the letter is a forgery, and devised only to blacken the memory of the puritans. It rests upon the sole authority of Dr. Bancroft, one of the bitterest and most violent of all their enemies; and is said to have been written near the time when Dr. Whitaker united with other learned divines in soliciting Mr. Cartwright to undertake an answer to the Rhemist translation, in which, among other commendations, they addressed him as follows: It is not for every one rashly • Churton's Life of Nowell, p. 322, 323. + Bancroft's Survey, p. 379, 360. to be thrust forth into the Lord's battles; but such captains are to be chosen from amongst David's worthies, one of which we acknowledge you to be, by the former battles undergone for the walls of our city, the church. We doubt not, if you will enter this war, but that you, fighting for conscience and country, will be able to tread under foot the forces of the Jebusites, which set themselves to assault the tower of David."* The former battles which Mr. Cartwright is here said to have undergone for the walls or discipline of the church, and for which he received so high a commendation from Dr. Whitaker and his brethren, were the controversies he had with Dr. Whitgift: but when the same controversies are described by the unworthy pen of Dr. Bancroft, Dr. Whitaker is made to speak the language of keen reproach, both of Mr. Cartwright and of his former battles. How can the two things be reconciled? Shall we conclude that Whitaker was guilty of such palpable inconsistency? This was no trait in his character. Did he then completely change his opinion of Cartwright and his controversy, during the short interval of joining in the address to this divine, and writing the foregoing letter to Whitgift? This would be contrary to numerous facts, as will presently appear. Did he address Whitgift, now Archbishop of Canterbury, merely to flatter him, and procure his favour? He never lost his favour, and no one was ever less guilty of flattery. In the year 1589, an assembly was held in St. John's college, Cambridge, of which Dr. Whitaker was master. Mr. Cartwright and many others were present on this occasion, and the meeting was designed to promote a purer form of discipline in the church. At the same time, "divers imperfections in the Book of Discipline were corrected, altered and amended; and they did not only perfect the said book, but did then and there voluntarily agree, that as many as were willing should subscribe the said Book of Discipline."+ Therefore, among the learned divines who subscribed, was the renowned Dr. Whitaker. He is also said to have united with other puritan divines in promoting the reformed discipline, and to have assembled with them for this purpose in their private associations.§ The year following, this learned divine was charged with holding or forming a presbytery in his college, and with * See Art. Cartwright. + Bancroft's Survey, p. 67. Neal's Puritans, vol. i, p. 423. § Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xv. p. 79, other unjust accusations, when he went up to London, and wrote the following letter to Lord Burleigh, chancellor of the university.* "My humble duty to your honourable lordship. "I will not complain to your lordship, of those that "have complained of me; who, seeing me resolved to come 66 up about my necessary defence, and fearing that the "complaint made concerning a presbytery would be easily "disproved, have devised other matters, which either touch 66 me nothing at all, or else are most frivolous; and yet, "being thus heaped together, seem to be of some weight. 66 Although I foresee the inconvenience of a new visitation, "which is the only thing they shoot at; yet I fear not any "course of justice whatsoever; and I do willingly submit "myself to what order your lordship shall take for due "trial of these matters. In one thing for a taste, your "lordship may judge of the rest. I am charged that I lay "at my brother Chadderton's, the night before I came up. "Indeed the truth is, I lay in the college, as I ever do : but "this was only a slight to bring in some mention of my "brother, whom they hate as much as me. If it may stand "with your honour's good pleasure, to let me have that "writing that was exhibited against me, I will set down "mine answer to every particular point, and return the "same again to your lordship. Thus I humbly take my "leave. From the Dean of Paul's house, October 24, « 1590. "Your lordship's to serve in the Lord, "WILLIAM WHITAKER.' We have not been able to learn what answer Dr. Whitaker gave to the accusations of his enemies, nor how long his troubles continued; but he most probably obtained his release, and, without much interruption, returned to his wonted exercises in the university. He was a divine who had a correct view of the genuine principles of protestantism, and would appeal to the authority of the holy scriptures alone, in the decision of all religious controversy. "We may warrantably enough," says he, "reject all human testimonies, and insist upon some clear scripture testimony. For this is the constant sense of the catholic fathers, that nothing is to be received or approved in religion, which is not bottomed on the testimony of scripture, and cannot be proved and confirmed out of those sacred writings: and • Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xxi. p. 558. very deservedly, since the scripture is the absolute rule of truth." From these generous principles, he was induced, with several other excellent divines, to write against the superstitious and ridiculous practice of bowing at the name of Jesus. Upon the same generous principles, he was no friend to episcopacy, but a decided advocate for the eldership, which the puritans sought to have established. "Episcopacy," saith he, "was invented by men as a remedy against sin; which remedy many wise and holy men have judged to be worse than the disease itself, and so it hath proved by woeful experience." In his answer to Campian's ten arguments, he says, "A presbyter and a bishop are by divine right the same; and if Arius was an heretic for saying so, Jerome certainly was akin to the same heresy." And in his reply to Dury, he avows the same sentiment, saying, "Presbyters being by divine right the same as bishops, might warrantably set other presbyters over the churches." He was decidedly of opinion, that all ecclesiastical persons should confine themselves to their ecclesiastical functions, without the exercise of any temporal authority. On these accounts, Mr. Strype very justly observes, that though he was a learned and pious man, a public professor of divinity, and a good writer against the church of Rome; yet " he was no friend to the church of England."** Dr. Whitaker, Dr. Fulke, Dr. Chadderton, Mr. Dod, and other learned puritans, held their private meetings in the university, with a view to their own improvement in a knowledge of the holy scriptures. Our divine married for his first wife, the pious sister of the two famous preachers, Mr. Samuel and Mr. Ezekiel Culverwell, and Dr. Lawrence Chadderton married another sister. For his second wife, he married the grave and pious widow of Mr. Dudley Fenner; and by both of them he had eight children, to whom he gave a religious education.++ "It must be confessed," says Mr. Baker," he had somewhat of the old leaven," meaning his puritanism. "His marriage into the families of the Culverwells and Fenners, and his acquaintance with Cartwright, Fulke, Chadderton and Dod, might give him * Calamy's Defence of Noucon. vol. i. p. 127. Edit. 1703. + Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 469.-Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 348. Leighton's Sion's Plea, p. 18: from Whitaker. Petition of Prelates Examined, p. 15. Edit. 1641. Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xx. This vol. is not paged. ** Strype's Whitgift, p. 355. VOL. II. ++ Clark's Eccl. Hist. p. 817. G an insensible bias that way; yet the meetings he held with these persons, were not intended to introduce a new discipline, but to expound the scripture.”* In the year 1595, there were many warm disputes about points of christian doctrine. The fire of contention broke out in the university of Cambridge, in which Dr. Whitaker was deeply involved. He shewed himself the zealous advocate of the supralapsarian sentiments, and was warmly opposed by Dr. Baro and others of the same party. To put an end to these disputes, the heads of the university sent Dr. Whitaker and Dr. Tyndal up to Lambeth, for the purpose of consulting with the archbishop, and other learned divines, upon these points; when they concluded upon nine propositions, commonly called the Lambeth articles, to which the scholars in the university were enjoined an exact conformity.+ Dr. Whitaker, during his journey to Lambeth, fell sick,. occasioned by his unusual fatigue and want of sleep, and died soon after his return to Cambridge. Through the whole of his affliction, he discovered great submission to the divine will. With holy and happy composure, he said, "O Lord my God, though thou kill me; yet, I am sure, that with these cyes I shall see thee; for in thee do I hope.' To a friend, who asked him one morning how he did, he replied, "O happy night! I have not taken so sweet a sleep since my disease fell upon me." His friend afterwards finding him in a cold sweat, and telling him that signs of death were upon him, he immediately answered, "Life or death is welcome to me, which God pleaseth; for death shall be an advantage to me. I desire not to live, but only * Baker's MS. Collec. vol. i. p. 214. vol. xx. + These articles were the following:-" God hath, from eternity, predestinated certain persons to life; and hath reprobated certain persons unto death. The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto life, is not the foresight of faith, or of perseverance, or of good works, or of any thing that is in the persons predestinated: but only the good will and pleasure of God.-There is pre-determined a certain number of the predestinate, which can neither be augmented nor diminished.-Those who are not predestinated to salvation, shall inevitably be condemned for their sins. A true, lively, and justifying faith, and the spirit of God justifying, is not extinguished, doth not utterly fail, doth not vanish away, in the elect, either finally or totally.-A true believer, that is, one who is endued with justifying faith, is certain with the full assurance of faith, of the remission of his sins, and of his everlasting salvation by Christ.-Saving grace is not given, is not granted, is not communicated to all men, by which they may be saved if they will.-No man is able to come unto Christ, unless it be given him, and unless the Father draw him ; and all men are not drawn by the Father, that they may come to the Son.-It is not in the will or power of every man to be saved."-Fuller's Church Hist. b. ix. p. 230–231. |