"I will make oath if I fhall be required, that Dr. Sanderfon "the late Bishop of Lincoln did, a little before his death, affirm "to me he had seen 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 attefted to me. FABIAN PHILIPS."

So that there appears to be both omifsions and additions in the faid laft three printed books; and this may probably be one reafon why Dr. Sanderson, the faid learned Bishop (whofe 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 second of all books, teftified by his recommending them to the reading of his fon Charles, that now is our gracious King; and you may fuppofe that this Charles I. was not a ranger to the pretended three books, becaufe in a difcourfe with the Lord Say',

and antiquities of England. When the bill for taking away the tenures was depending in Parliament, he published a work highly valued by professional readers: "Tenenda non Tollenda; or, the Necefsity of preferving Tenures in Capite," &c. London. 1660. 4to. He was alío the author of "Veritas Inconcufsa; or, a moft certain Truth afserted, that King Charles I. was no Man of Blood, but a Martyr for his People." He concludes this tract with the following extraordinary passage: "The “Seavern, Thames, Trent, and Humber, four of the greatest rivers of "the kingdom, with all their lesser running fireams of the island in their "continual courfes, and thofe huge heaps of water in the ocean and "girdle of it, in their refilefs agitations, will never be able to fcour and wash away the guilt and flaiu of it (the King's death), though all the "rains which the clouds fhall ever bring forth and impart to this nation, and the tears of thofe that bewail the lofs of a King of so emi"nent graces and perfection fhall be added to it."

66

* Dr. Gauden in his dedication of Mr. Hooker's Works to Charles II. thus addreises the King: I fall need nothing more to ingratiate this "incomparable piece to your Majelty's acceptance, 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 Polity,' even next the Bible; as an "excellent means to fettle them in the truth of religion, and in the peace of the church, as much Chriftian and as well reformed as any “under heaven: as if God had referved this fignal honour to be done by the beft of kings and greatest of fufferers for this church, to him who "was one of the beft writers and ableft defenders of it."

A close and ambitious man, an enemy to the church of England, and defirous of its difsolution. His violent fpeech againfi Bishops is inferted in Nalion's Collections," &c. Vol. II. page 266; and that

againft

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 68 were not allowed to be Mr. Hooker's books; but however "he would allow them to be Mr. Hooker's, and confent to "what his Lordship proposed to prove out of thofe doubtful "books, if he would but confent to the judgment of Mr. "Hooker, in the other five, that were the undoubted books of "Mr. Hooker.”

In this relation concerning these three doubtful books of Mr. Hooker, my purpofe 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 defign and manage of these books, fo alfo, and chiefly with his dear pupil George Cranmer (whose fifter was the wife of Dr. Spencer), of which this following Letter may be a teftimony; and doth also give authority to fome things mentioned both in the Appendix, and in the Life of Mr. Hooker; and is therefore added.

againft Archbishop Laud, with the Archbishop's Anfwerin" Laud's Hiftory of his Troubles," page 470. Nathaniel Fiennes, his favourite fon, was a moft violent enemy to Epifcopacy and Manarchy, 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 himself in promoting the restoration of Charles II. He afterward received a re ward much fuperior to his merit--the privy feal; the appointment to which gave great offence to many of the cavaliers.

CONCERNING

THE NEW CHURCH DISCIPLINE;

AN EXCELLENT

LETTER,

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

FEBRUARY MDXCVIII".

WHAT pofterity is likely to judge of these matters concerni

ing church difcipline, 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 moft part favoured of the difciplinary ftyle; it founded every where in pulpits, and in the common phrafe of men's fpeech. The contrary part began to fear they had taken a wrong courfe, many which impugned the difcipline, yet so impugned it, not as being the better form of government, but as not fo convenient for our ftate, in regard of dangerous innovations thereby likely to grow. One man alone P there was to speak (whom let no fufpicion of flattery deprive of his deferved commendation), who, in the diffidence of the one part, and courage of the other, ftood in the gap, and gave others refpite to prepare themselves to their defence; which by the fudden eagernefs and violence of their adverfaries had otherwise been prevented.-Wherein God hath made good unto him his own emprefs, "Vincit qui patitur :"

m This letter is reprinted from the original edition in 1642.

n 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 difcipline established by Calvin in the church of Ge

neva.

Archbishop Whitgift.

for what contumelious indignities he hath at their hands fuf tained, 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 have 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 cause 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 pofsefs men at first; but afterward, the weakness thereof being by time discovered, to lofe that reputation which before it had gained. As by the outfide of a house the passers by are oftentimes deceived, till they see the conveniency of the rooms within; so, by the very name of difcipline and reformation, men were drawn at first to cast a fancy towards it, but now they have not contented themselves only to país by and behold afar off the forefront of this reformed houfe; they have entered in, even at the fpecial request of the mafter workmen and chief builders thereof: they have perused 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 first triumphed over all, being unmasked, beginneth to droop and hang down her head.

This cause 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 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 publifhed 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 ufed. Behold, at length it brake forth into open outrage, first in writing by Martin: in whofe kind of

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

Mr. Hooker, when he is fpeaking" of the fcurrilous and more than "fatirical imunodetty of Martinilm," tells his reader that "the fict

"published

dealing these things may be obferved: 1. That whereas T. C. and others his great masters, 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 ftage'. 2. Which conceit of his was grounded (as may be supposed) upon this rare policy, that seeing 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 most plaufible) the state ecclefiaftical might have been drawn into fuch contempt and hatred, as the overthrow thereof should 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 myfelf 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 be wrought thereby for his church, as indeed there was, though not according to their conftruction. For, 4thly, contrary to their expectation, that railing fpirit did not only not further, but extremely difgrace and prejudice their caufe, when it was once perceived from how low degrees of contradiction at firft, to what outrage of contumely and flander they were at length proceeded, and were also likely further to proceed.

A further degree of outrage was in fact: Certain prophets " did arise, who deeming it not possible that God fhould fuffer that undone which they did fo fiercely defire to have done, namely that his holy faints, the favourers and fathers of the difcipline should be enlarged, and delivered from perfecution; and, feeing no means of deliverance ordinary, were fain to perfuade themselves that God muft needs raise some extraordinary means: and being perfuaded of none fo well as of themselves,

published schedules thereof being brought to the hands of a very 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 sentence or two, and delivered back the libel with this an"fwer, I am forie you are of the mind to bee folaced with these sports, "and forrier you have herein thought mine affection to be like your 66 6 ' own."" (Hooker's Epist. Dedic. to Archbishop Whitgift.)

S THOMAS CARTWRIGHT, the author and publisher of "The Admonition to the Parliament," printed in 1572, with the approbation and afsistance of the whole party, and fully anfwered and confuted paragraph by paragraph by Dr. Whitgift in the fame year.

t 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.) ↳ William Hacket, Edmund Coppinger, and Henry Arthington.