In order to which fermon, to London he came, and immediately to the Shunamites-Houfe; which is a house fo called; for that, befides the stipend paid the preacher, there is provifion made alfo for his lodging and diet two days before, and one day after his fermon. This house was then kept by John Churchman, fometimes a draper of good note in Wattling-street, upon whom, after many years of plenty, poverty had at last come like an armed man, and brought him into a neceffitous condition; which, though it be a punishment, is not always an argument of God's disfavour, for he was a virtuous man: I fhall not yet give the like teftimony of his wife, but leave the reader to judge by what follows. But to this house Mr. Hooker came fo wet, fo, weary, and weather-beaten, that he was never known to exprefs more paffion, than against a friend that diffuaded him from footing it to London, and for hiring him no eafier a horse, (fuppofing the horse trotted when he did not;) and at this time, alfo, fuch a faintness and fear poffeffed him, that he would not be perfuaded two days quietness, or any other means could be used to make him able to preach his Sunday's fermon; but a warm bed, and reft, and drink proper for a

cold,

It was at Paul's Crofs that in the beginning of the reformation the Rood of Grace, whofe eyes and lips were moved with wires, was expofed to the view of the people and destroyed by them. It was a place of general refort, where the citizens met, like the Athenians of old, for the fake of hearing and telling of news. "A man was afked whether he was at the "fermon at Paul's Crofs? and he answered that he was there; and being asked what news "there? Marry, quoth he, wonderful news." And it was fometimes a fubject of complaint, that the people walked up and down in the fermon-time, and that there was fuch buzzing and huzzing in the preacher's ear, that it made him oft to forget his matter.

It seems to have been within the province of the Bishop of London, to fummon from the univerfities, or from other places, deacons of the best abilities to preach there. Sandys, when the Bishop of London, in an addrefs to the Lord Treasurer Burghley and the Earl of Leicester, concerning feditious preachers, tells them that "he does what he can to procure fit men to "preach at the Crofs, but that he cannot know their hearts." (Strype's Whitgift, Appendix, p. 9.) For the due providing these fermons, and for the encouragement of the preachers, Bishop Aylmer was a great benefactor.

When Bishop Jewel was a pupil at Oxford, Mr. Parkhurft, his tutor, gave him "Tindal's Tranflation of the Bible" to read, him felf overlooking Coverdale's. Obferving Jewel's acute remarks on these two verfions, he exclaimed, "Surely Paul's Crofs will one day ring of this "boy." Prophefying, as it were, fays my author, of that noble fermon of his at Paul's Cross, in 1560, on 1 Cor. xi. 23. (Prince's Worthies of Devon.)

cold, given him by Miftrefs Churchman, and her diligent attendance added unto it, enabled him to perform the office of the day, which was in or about the year 1581.

And in this first public appearance to the world, he was not fo happy as to be free from exceptions against a point of doctrine delivered in his fermon, which was, that" in God there were two wills; an antecedent, and a confequent will: his firft will, that all mankind fhould be faved; but "his fecond will was, that thofe only should be faved, that did live answerable to that degree of grace which he had offered or afforded them." This seemed to cross a late opinion of Mr. Calvin's, and then taken for granted by many that had not a capacity to examine it, as it had been by him, and had been fince by Dr. Jackfon, Dr. Hammond', and others of great learning, who believe that a contrary opinion trenches upon the honour and justice of our merciful God. How he justified this, I will not undertake to declare; but it was not excepted against (as Mr. Hooker declares in an occasional answer to Mr. Travers) by John Elmer, then Bishop of London', L12

at

z Of this distinguished divine, the founder of the Church of Geneva, fee Mr. Hooker's Preface to his "Ecclefiaftical Polity," Sect. II.

The name of Dr. Hammond requires no eulogy. His excellent writings fully demonftrate his piety and learning. It is remarked of him, that, after all his great acquifitions, the scholar was lefs eminent than the Chriftian: That his fpeculative knowledge, which gave light to the most dark and difficult points, became eclipfed by the more dazzling luftre of his practice.

The conduct of Aylmer, Bishop of London, in the scenes of public life, has been accurately defcribed by the induftrious pen of Mr. Strype. It will be fufficient to notice one trait of his character, which difplayed itself in his care of Lady Jane Grey, to whom he was tutor. Such was the fuavity of his difpofition, fo gently, fo pleafantly, and with fuch fair allurements to learning, did he inftruct her, that the thought all the time nothing, whilft fhe was with him. "And when I am called from him", faid this accomplished young woman, "I fall on weep"ing, because whatsoever I do elfe but learning, is full of grief, trouble, fear, and wholly "misliking to me. And thus my book has been so much my pleasure, and bringeth daily to "me more pleafure and more, that in refpect of it all other pleasures in very deed be but "trifles and troubles to me." (Afcham's Schoolmafter.)—On this occafion Roger Afcham thus exclaims in a Latin letter to this lady. "O Elmarum meum feliciflimum, cui talis "contigit difcipula, et te multo feliciorem, quæ eum Præceptorem nacta es: Utrique certe et tibi quæ difcis et illi qui docet et gratulor et gaudeo.”

That

at this time one of his auditors, and at last one of his advocates too, when Mr. Hooker was accufed for it.

But the juftifying of this doctrine did not prove of fo bad confequence, as the kindness of Mrs. Churchman's curing him of his late diftemper and cold, for that was fo gratefully apprehended by Mr. Hooker, that he thought himself bound in confcience to believe all that she said: So that the good man came to be perfuaded by her, that " he was a man of a ten"der conftitution;" and, " that it was beft for him to have a wife, that "might prove a nurse to him; fuch a one as might both prolong his life, "and make it more comfortable; and fuch a one, fhe could and would "provide for him, if he thought fit to marry." And he not confidering, that "the children of this world are wifer in their generation than the "children of light;" but, like a true Nathaniel, who feared no guile, because he meant none, did give her fuch power as Eleazer was trusted with, when he was fent to choose a wife for Ifaac; for even fo he trusted her to choose for him, promising upon a fair summons to return to London, and accept of her choice; and he did so in that or the year following. Now, the wife provided for him was her daughter Joan, who brought him neither beauty nor portion; and for her conditions, they were too like that wife's, which is by Solomon compared to a dripping house: So that he had no reason to " rejoice in the wife of his youth," but rather to fay with the holy prophet, "Wo is me that I am conftrained to have my "habitation in the tents of Kedar!"

This choice of Mr. Hooker's (if it were his choice) may be wondered at; but let us confider that the Prophet Ezekiel fays, "There is a wheel "within a wheel;" a fecret facred wheel of Providence (efpecially in mar

riages)

“That which I taught," fays Mr. Hooker (Answer to Mr. Travers's Supplication, Sec. VIII.) was at Paul's Crofs; it was not huddled in amongst other matters in fuch fort that it could "pafs without noting: It was opened, it was proved, it was fome reafonable time stood upon. "I fee not which way my Lord of London, who was prefent and heard it, can excuse so "great a fault as patiently without rebuke or controulment afterward to hear any man there "teach otherwife than the word of God doth."

C

Anthony Wood pronounces the wife of Mr. Hooker to have been a filly clownish woman, and withal a mere Xantippe.

riages) guided by his hand, that "allows not the race to the swift," nor "bread to the wife," nor good wives to good men: And he that can bring good out of evil (for mortals are blind to fuch reasons) only knows why this bleffing was denied to patient Job, and (as fome think) to meek Mofes, and to our as meek and patient Mr. Hooker. But fo it was; and let the reader ceafe to wonder, for affliction is a divine diet; which though it be unpleafing to mankind, yet Almighty God hath often, very often impofed it as good, though bitter phyfic to those children whofe fouls are deareft to him.

And by this means the good man was drawn from the tranquillity of his college; from that garden of piety, of pleasure, of peace, and a sweet conversation, into the thorny wilderness of a bufy world; into those corroding cares that attend a married priest, and a country parfonage; which was Draiton Beuchamp' in Buckinghamshire, (not far from Ailfbury, and in the diocese of Lincoln;) to which he was presented by John Cheney, Esq. (then patron of it) the 9th of December, 1584, where he behaved himself fo, as to give no occafion of evil, but (as St. Paul adviseth a minister of God) "In much patience, in afflictions, in anguishes, in neceffities, in poverty, and no doubt in long-fuffering;" yet troubling no man with his discontents and wants".

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And in this mean condition he continued about a year; in which time his two pupils, Edwin Sandys and George Cranmer, were returned from travel, and took a journey to Draiton to fee their tutor; where they found him with a book in his hand (it was the "Odes of Horace"), he being then tending his small allotment of fheep in a common field; which he told his pupils he was forced to do, for that his fervant was then gone home

to

d Drayton Beacham, R. St. Mary, in the Deanery of Muralley in the Archdeaconry of Bucks. Bishop Gauden is miftaken when he relates that Mr. Hooker was preferred to this living by his college. Lord Cheyne prefented his clerk to this rectory in 1708. (Bacon's Liber Regis. p. 495.)

By this inconfiderate marriage his fellowship was immediately vacated. Dr. Gauden's ignorance of this unfortunate event has occafioned him to affign feveral reafons why Mr. Hooker forfook an academic life, and chose to confign the rich treafury of his learning to the retiredness and obfcurity of a country parfonage.

i

to dine, and affift his wife to do fome neceffary household business. When his fervant returned and released him, his two pupils attended him unto his house, where their best entertainment was his quiet company, which was presently denied them; for Richard was called to rock the cradle; and their welcome was so like this, that they stayed but next morning, which was time enough to difcover and pity their tutor's condition: and having in that time remembered and paraphrafed on many of the innocent recreations of their younger days, and by other fuch like diverfions, given him as much present pleasure as their acceptable company and difcourfe could afford him, they were forced to leave him to the company of his wife, and feek themselves a quieter lodging. But at their parting from him, Mr. Cranmer faid, "Good tutor, I am forry your lot is fallen in no better ground, as to your parfonage; and more forry your wife proves not a more com"fortable companion after you have wearied your thoughts in your reft"lefs ftudies." To whom the good man replied, "My dear George, if "faints have usually a double fhare in the miseries of this life, I, that am 66 none, ought not to repine at what my wife Creator hath appointed for "me; but labour, as indeed I do daily, to fubmit to his will, and poffefs my foul in patience and peace.'

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At their return to London, Edwin Sandys acquaints his father (then Bifhop of London, and after Archbishop of York), with his tutor's fad condition, and folicits for his removal to fome benefice that might give him a more comfortable fubfiftence; which his father did moft willingly grant him, when it should next fall into his power. And not long after this time,

which

How ftrongly is this unpleafing domeftic fcene contrafted by the gentle manners, the exalted piety, the extenfive charity, the faint-like humility of that excellent woman, the wife of Mr. George Herbert?

On the ftone which covers the body of Thomas a Kempis is his effigy, and that of another perfon extending to him a label whereon is written a queftion to this purpose:-

"Oh! where is PEACE, for thou its paths haft trod ?

To which Kempis is represented as answering—

"In poverty, retirement, and with God.

(The Amaranth, 1767, p. 3-9