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OF THE

AUTHENTICITY OF THE THREE LAST BOOKS

OF

ECCLESIASTICAL POLITY,

THE writings of the learned and judicious Mr. Richard

Hooker have fo deservedly obtained the character of fuperior excellency, that it becomes a matter of no little confequence to diftinguifh his genuine works from any fuppofitious productions that have appeared in his name. Of the authenticity of the three laft Books of Ecclefiaftical Polity, much doubt has been entertained. As I am not inclined to hope that it is in my power to throw new light upon the fubject, I fhall merely fuggeft fome few obfervations that obviously occur on a plain reprefentation of the cafe.

The four firft books of this celebrated work were first printed in 1594, and the fifth in 1597. While they were admired and applauded by wife and good men both at home and abroad, they gave great offence to that numerous band of puritanical writers, whofe unremitting zeal, in oppofing our ecclefiaftical eftablishment, uniformly difplayed itfelf on all occafions. In fact this performance of Mr. Hooker foon engaged the attention of those writers. They treated him with much afperity in a tract entitled "A Chriftian Letter of certain English Proteftants, unfained Favourers of the prefent State of Religion, authorifed and profefsed in England, unto that reverend and learned man Mr. R. HOO. requiring refolution in certaine matters of doctrine (which feeme to overthrow the foundation of Chriftian Religion, and of the Church among us) exprefslie contained in his five books of Ecclefiafticall Policie., 1599." This tract is faid to have given that wound to Mr. Hooker, "that it was not the leaft caufe to procure his death." But, "it was far otherwife," according to Dr. Covel, who, with

See "A Juft and Temperate Defence of the Five Books of Ecclefiaftical Policie, written by Mr. Richard Hooker, againfi an uncharitable Letter of certain English Protefiants (as they tearme themfelves), craving Refolution, &c. Written by William Covel, Doctor in Divinitie. London, 1603"

equal modesty and learning, has difcufsed all the positions advanced in the Christian Letter; " for he contemned it in his wifdom; and yet in his humilitie would have answered it, if " he had lived."

66

It cannot be denied that Mr. Hooker completed eight books". The accomplishment of this work was the wish nearest to his heart. He had formed in his vaftly comprehenfive mind a noble and magnificent plan. Having lived to fee that plan perfected, he died with complacency and contentment.

Many circumftances contributed to excite a fufpicion, that an attempt would be made to fupprefs or deftroy his manufcripts. This appears from a Letter written by Dr. Launcelor Andrews, who was then Mafter of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, to Dr. Parry..

86

65 SALUTEM IN CHRISTO,

"I cannot choose but write though you do not: I never "failed fince I laft faw you, but dayly prayed for him till this very inftant you fent this heavie news. I have hitherto "prayed, serva nobis hunc: now muft I, da nobis alium. Alas "for our greate lofs! And when I fay ours, though I meane 66 yours and myne, yet much more the common: with the lofse "fince they have of fo greate a damage, the more fad wee neede "to bewayle them and ourselves, who knowe his workes and "his worth to be fuch, as behind him he hath not (that I "knowe) left anie neere him. And whether I fhall live to "knowe anie neere him, I am in greate doubt, that I care not "how manie and myself had redeemed his longer life to have "done good in a better fubject than he had in hand, though "that were very good. Good brother, have a care to deal with "his executrix or executor, or (him that is like to have a greate ftroke in it) his father in lawe, that there be special care ❝and regard for preserving such papers as he left, befides the

d Of this circumftance Dr. Gauden feems not to be apprifed. He tells us that they were efteemed abortives, with fuch lineaments of their father's virtue and vigour in them, that they may be easily and juftly owned for genuine, although perhaps they had not the laft politure of their parent's head: Their ftrength fhows them to be a legitimate progeny, however they may feem to want fomething of that beauty and luftre which always attended Mr. Hooker's confummation.

(Dr. Gauden's Life, &c. of Mr. Richard Hooker, p. 14.)

e From a MS. in the Bodleian Library, and inferted in the Oxford edition of Mr. Hooker's works. Dr. Henry Parry, to whom this letter feems to have been addrefsed, was educated in Corpus Chrifii College, Oxford. In 1607, he was appointed Bishop of Gloucefter, and in 1610, Bishop of Worcefter. He was reputed by all of his time, an able divine, and well read in the Fathers, a thorough-paced difputant, and fo eloquent a preacher, that King James I. "who did ken a man of merit as well as any prince in Chriftendom," always profefsed he feldom heard a better. See" Wood's Ath. Ox." Vol. I. col. 416.

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"three last books expected. By preferving I meane, that not 66 only they be not embezelled, and come to nothing, but that "they come not into greate hands, whoe will only have ufe of "them quatenus et quousque, and fupprefse the reft, or unhappily "all: but rather into the hands of fome of them that unfeinedly "wifhed him well, though of the meaner fort; who may upon "good afsurance (very good afsurance) be trufted with them; "for it is pitie they fhould admit anie limitation. Do this, 66 and do it mature: it had bin more than time long fince to "have bin about it, if I had fooner knowne it. If my word or "letter would doe anie good to Mr. Churchman, it should not GS want. But what cannot yourself or Mr. Sandys doe therein? "For Mr. Cranmer is away; happie in that he fhall gaine a "weeke or two before he knowe of it. Almightie God comfort 66 us over him! whose taking away I truft I fhall no longer "live, then with grief I remember; therefore with grief, be"cause with inward and most just honour I ever honoured him "fince I knew him.

"Your assured

"At the Court, 7 Nov3. 1600.

"Poore loving Friend,

"L. ANDREWES."

We learn from the Latin epitaph infcribed on the monument which was erected in 1631, to the memory of Mr. Hooker, above thirty years after his death, that the fufpicion was not groundlefs, and that three books were actually wanting. "Scripfit octo Libros Politiæ Ecclefiafticæ Anglicanæ, quorum "tres desiderantur."

Within four years after the death of this venerable man, the moft ftrict and diligent inquiry was made after them without fuccefs. Anthony Wood announces the publication of all the eight books, with certain tractates and fermons, fo early as in 1617. The title page of the edition of that year, on which he establishes his opinion, utters a glaring falfehood; the volume containing only five books, as well in this edition of 1617, as in the fubfequent ones of 1621 and 1631. The compilers of "The General Dictionary," and of "The Biographia Britannica," relying on the authority of Wood, have fallen into the fame error.- -Without condefcending to examine the contents of the volume, they very injuriously charge Dr. Gauden with ignorance or confidence, when he infinuates that the Seventh Book was first published in 1662.

The Sixth and Eighth Books were printed at London in 1648, 4to, under the title of "The Lawes of Ecclefiafticall Politie, the Sixth and Eighth Books: By Richard Hooker. A work long expected, and now publifhed according to the most authentique copies." In this edition it is afserted that they were compared with five copies extant, in different libraries; in the Bodleian Library, in that at Lambeth, and in thofe of Bishop Andrews, Archbishop Ufher, and Lord Edward Conway. With regard

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to the degree of credit due to these copies, a profound filence is obferved.

Fourteen years after, namely in 1662, the Seventh Book(touching Epifcopacy, or the Primitive, Catholick, and Apoftolick Government of the Church) faid to be completed out of his own manufcripts, was published by Dr. Gauden, then Bishop of Exeter, along with Mr. Hooker's other works.

It feems reasonable to expect that the fulleft and most convincing proofs fhould have been adduced to fubftantiate these books as authentic. A cautious editor, when he prefents to the public light a choice and precious_manufcript, that had long been buried in obfcurity, will not content himfelf with mere afsertions: He will endeavour to inform his readers when and where it was difcovered: He will endeavour to establish its authority with all possible precision, so as to banish every doubt concerning its genuineness. On the prefent occafion nothing of this kind has been attempted. When afseverations are urged without any attendant arguments to confirm their validity, the mind is left to fluctuate in uncertainty and perplexednefs. It is declared by Dr. Gauden, that "these three last books were "never finished "." The truth of this declaration is expressly contradicted, both by the above cited epitaph, and by Ifaac Walton's narrative.

It is added, that "they had been for many ages fupprefsed." Was it not, therefore, highly requifite to advance fome evidence of their originality after this long fupprefsion; to ascertain the place where they had eluded all inquiry; to inftruct us by what means they were brought from their dark abode? A treasure fo ineftimable, a depofit fo dear to every good man, would furely have been preferved with the utmoft fidelity and caution; and when ufhered into the world, would have been accompanied with all the atteftations necefsary to enhance its worth.

He proceeds: "They are now come to light after our late "long troubles, as fome buried ftatues or hidden monuments "are oft discovered by earthquakes." Are we to attribute the discovery of them, after a concealment for fo extenfive a period of time, to the distracted ftate of this country, amidst the horrors and confufion of a civil war? Yet what prevented their more early appearance? In the mild and peaceable reign of James I. when difquifitions on the difcipline and doctrine of the Church of England were the subjects of general attention, the publication of them would have been peculiarly acceptable.

f Dr. Gauden published "Hooker's Works," in 1662, fol. A fecond edition, with "The Life of Mr. Hooker, by Ifaac Walton," appeared in 1666, fol. A third in 1676, fol. A fourth in 1682, fol. A fifth in 4723, fol. And a fixth in 1793, printed at Oxford in three volumes, 8vo.

See "Dr. Gauden's Life, &c. of Mr. Richard Hooker."

And if their genuinenefs admitted no doubt, what causes can pofsibly be afsigned for fecreting them? If they remained in the possession of Mr. Hooker's friends, thofe friends would eagerly and without delay have configned them to the prefs. If his enemies concealed them, it is fcarce probable that from their hands they would emerge pure and uncontaminated.

He adds further: "Each of them is by learned critics judged "to be genuine or authentic." Who thofe learned critics are, or upon what grounds they founded their criticism, we are left to conjecture. King Charles I. by whom the very name of Mr. Hooker was held in the highest veneration, thought otherwife. In his interview with Lord Say, he exprefsly maintained that the Sixth and Eighth Books were not allowed to have been written by Mr. Hooker. And this opinion was probably the result of his difcourfes on the subject with thofe divines, in whose converfation he delighted, and who were perfectly competent to decide upon the matter, being men of great candour and known integrity of mind, neither deficient in inquifitivenefs, nor liable to be deceived by artifice. And no recent teftimony has been fince adduced to enervate the evidence that arifes from the King's afsertion.

Of the authenticity of the Sixth Book no intelligence is communicated.

The Seventh Book is affirmed, "by comparing the writing "of it with other indifputable papers or known manufcripts of "Mr. Hooker, to be undoubtedly his own hand throughout." From this laft pofitive declaration it may be deemed difficult to withhold afsent. Our acquiefcence in it would have been cheerfully given, if it had been fupported by any corroborating arguments: If we had been informed when these papers and known MSS. were depofited, and by whofe nice discriminating eye the collation was made.

The Eighth Book has no other mark of legitimacy upon it, has no other character to elucidate its origin, than the bare affirmation, that "it is written by another hand, as a copy, but

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b It is remarked of the Puritanical writers of thofe times, that they were not ashamed "to fett forth fuppofitious pamphlets in favour of "their caufe, under the counterfeit names of other men of known piety "and parts, whofe former writings have been entertained with general "approbation abroad in the world:" Their very names, they thought, would give fome countenance to any cause which they could feem in any degree to own. "This," fays Dr. Sanderfon," is one of their piæ fraudes, or godly cheats; a practice common to them with the Jefuits, as many other of their practices (ey and of their doctrines too) are. Such an unhappy fatal coincidence not feldom there is of extremes. Thus "they dealt with the reverend Primate of Armagh, printing his name, "and that in his life-time too (fuch was their modefty and tenderness' "of confcience), to two feverall pamphlets, the one called 'Vox Hi"berniæ,' and the other A Direction to the Parliament,' &c." See "Clavi Trabales,” p. 151.

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