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"made clergymen meanly valued, and the facred name of pricft contempt"ible; yet I will labour to make it honourable, by confecrating all my learn

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ing, and all my poor abilities, to advance the glory of that God that gave "them; knowing that I can never do too much for him that hath done fo "much for me, as to make me a Chriftian. And I will labour to be like. my Saviour, by making humility lovely in the eyes of all men, and by "following the merciful and meek example of my dear Jefus."

This was then his refolution, and the God of conftancy, who intended him for a great example of virtue, continued him in it; for within that year he was made deacon, but the day when, or by whom, I cannot learn: but that he was about that time made deacon is moft certain; for I find by the records of Lincoln, that he was made Prebendary of Layton Ecclefia', in the diocese of Lincoln, July 15, 1626; and that this prebend was given him by John, then Lord Bishop of that fee'. And now he had a fit occafion to fhew that piety and bounty that was derived from his generous mother, and his other memorable ancestors, and the occafion was this.

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In "Ecton's Lift of the prebendal Dignities belonging to the Church of Lincoln," it is called "Leighton Bromefwold, Ecclefia P. in Co. Huntingd." In "Bacon's Liber Regis," it is termed "Leighton Bofard, alias Leighton Beaudefert, P. Ecclefie Lincoln."

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Dr. John Williams, afterward Archbishop of York, was then Bishop of Lincoln, the last ecclefiaftic who was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. Of him it was faid, that " He never faw "the book of worth he read not; he never forgot what he read; he never loft the use of what "he remembered; every thing he heard or faw was his own, and what was his own he knew "how to use to the utmoft." Whatever difcrepancy of opinion there may be, in juftly appretiating the character of this prelate, it must be owned that he was a munificent patron of learning and learned men. Twelve perfons from one fociety, that of Trinity College in Cam- bridge, were diftinguished by him, and advanced to preferment. Among thefe we obferve Dr. Creighton, Mr. George Herbert, Dr. Anthony Scattergood, Mr. James Duport, Mr. Herbert Thorndike, names dear to literature. When the fee of Exeter was vacant, he seized the opportunity of gratifying two worthy divines, his old friends, "who had been both bred in "the houfe of wifdom with Lord Chancellor Egerton," Dr. Carew, who had been his chaplain, and Dr. Dunn, who had been his fecretary, "a laureat wit, neither was it poffible "that a vulgar foul fhould dwell in fuch promifing features." Thefe two prevailed by the Lord Keeper's commendation against all pretenders; the Bishopric of Exeter was conferred upon Dr. Carew, and Dr. Dunn fucceeded him in the Deanery of St. Paul's. (Hacket's Life of Archbishop Williams.)-Mr. Herbert did not long continue orator after his promotion to this prebend, Mr. Robert Creighton his fucceffor being appointed in 1627.

This Layton Ecclefia is a village near to Spalden", in the county of 'Huntingdon, and the greateft part of the parish-church was fallen down, and that of it which flood was fo decayed, fo little, and fo useless, that the parishioners could not meet to perform their duty to God in public prayer and praises; and thus it had been for almoft 20 years, in which time there had been fome faint endeavours for a public collection, to enable the parishioners to rebuild it, but with no fuccefs, till Mr. Herbert undertook it; and he by his own and the contribution of many of his kindred, and other noble friends, undertook the re-edification of it, and made it fo much his whole business, that he became reftlefs till he faw it finished as it now ftands being for the workmanship a coftly Mofaic; for the form an exact croís; and for the decency and beauty, I am affured, it is the most remarkable parish-church that this nation affords. He lived to fee it so wainfcotted, as to be exceeded by none; and, by his order, the reading-pew and pulpit were a little diftant from each other, and both of an equal height: for Spalden, or Spalding, is a town in Lincolnshire. Mr. Walton has mistaken the name for Spaldwick, or Spaldick, in Huntingdonshire. 3% of Kemalibu

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* It appears from a recent survey of this church, that the reading-desk is on the right-hand in the nave, juft as you enter the chancel, and that its height is feven feet four inches; and that the pulpit is on the left-hand, and exactly of the fame height. They are both pentagonal. The church is at present chiefly paved with bricks: the roofs both of the church and chancel are tyled, and not under-drawn or ceiled. There are no communion-rails; but, as you advance to the communion-table, you afcend three fteps. The windows are large and handfome, with fome fmall remnants of painted glafs. The feats and pews both in the nave, the cross-aifle, and the chancel, fomewhat refemble the ftalls in cathedrals, but are very simple, with little or no ornament, nearly alike, and formed of oak. It was evidently the intention of Mr. Herbert that in his church there fhould be no diftinction between the feats of the rich and thofe of the poor. During divine fervice the men have from time immemorial been accustomed to fit on the fouth-fide of the nave, and the women on the north-fide. In the crossaifle, the male-fervants fit on the fouth-fide, and the female-fervants on the north-fide.

The ftrongest and beft part of the church is the tower, which is of moft durable and excellent ftone, dug out of the quarries of Barnock in Northamptonshire. It is confidered as a fine fpecimen of good architecture.

Mr. Walton feems to have been misinformed when he writes, that the workmanship of the church was a coflly Mofaic, and that Mr. Herbert lived to fee it wainscotted. No traces of either are difcoverable. The church is now, in 1795, dilapidated in feveral parts.

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A South East View of ST MARY'S CHURCILat LEIGHTON-BROMESWOLD in HUNTINGDONSHIRE, BUILT by M GEORGE HERBERT

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for he would often fay, "They should neither have a precedency or prio"rity of the other; but that prayer and preaching, being equally useful, might agree like brethren, and have an equal honour and eflimation"." Before I proceed farther, I muft look back to the time of Mr. Herbert's being made prebendary, and tell the reader, that not long after, his mother being informed of his intentions to rebuild that church, and apprehending the great trouble and charge that he was likely to draw upon himself, his relations, and friends, before it could be finifhed, fent for him. from London to Chelsea (where fhe then dwelt), and at his coming faid, "George, I fent for you, to perfuade you to commit Simony, by giving 66A your patron as good a gift as he has given to you; namely, that you "give him back his prebend: For, George, it is not for your weak body "and empty purse to undertake to build churches." Of which he defired he might have a day to confider, and then make her an answer: And at his return to her the next day, when he had first desired her bleffing, and shegiven it him, his next request was, "That he would at the age of thirty"three years allow him to become an undutiful fon; for he had made a vow "to God, that if he were able, he would rebuild that church:" And then fhewed her fuch reafons for his refolution, that the prefently fubfcribed to be one of his benefactors; and undertook to folicit William Earl of Pembroke to become another, who fubfcribed for fifty pounds; and not long after, by a witty and perfuafive letter from Mr. Herbert, made it fifty pounds. And in this nomination of fome of his benefactors, James Duke of Lenox,

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An ill custom prevailed at court after the acceffion of James I.; whenever the King came to the chapel, divine fervice was fuddenly broke off, and an anthem fung to make immediate way for the fermon. This cuftom, as implying a contempt of the liturgy, or at leaft a preference. of preaching to prayer, was fet afide by Dr. Laud, while he was Dean of the chapel.

"Refort to sermons, but to prayers most :
"Praying's the end of preaching."

(Mr. George Herbert's CHURCH PORCH.)

"In the church of Little Gidding the pulpit was fixed on the north, the reading-desk over against it on the fouth-fide of the church, and both on the fame level; it being thought improper that a higher place fhould be appointed for preaching than that which was allotted for prayer." (Memoirs of the Life of Mr. Nicholas Ferrar, p. 178.)

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