fucceeded him in the Professorship, in which he continued till the year 1642 (being then elected Bishop of Worcester), at which time our now Proctor, Mr. Sanderson, fucceeded him in the Regius Professorship.

And in this year, Dr. Arthur Lake (then Warden of New College) was advanced to the Bishopric of Bath and Wells: a man of whom I take myself bound in justice to say, that he made the great truft committed to him, the chief care and whole bufnefs of his life. And one teftimony of this truth may be, that he fat ufually with his Chancellor in his Confiftory, and at leaft advised, if not afsifted, in moft fentences for the punishing of fuch offenders as deferved Church cenfures. And it may be noted, that after a fentence for penance was pronounced, he did very rarely or never allow of any commutation for the offence, but did ufually fee the fentence for penance executed; and then, as ufually, preach a fermon of mortification and repentance, and fo apply them to the offenders, that then flood before him, as begot in them then a devout contrition, and at leaft refolutions to amend their lives; and having done that, he would take them, though never fo poor, to dinner with him, and use them friendly, and difmifs them with his blefsing and perfuafions to a virtuous life, and beg them for their own fakes to believe him. And his humility and charity, and all other Chriftian excellencies were all like this. Of all which the reader may inform himself in his Life, truly writ and printed before his excellent Sermons.

And in this year, alfo, the very prudent and very wife Lord Elfmere, who was fo very long Lord Chancellor of England, and then of Oxford, refigning up the laft, the right honourable, and as magnificent, William Herbert Earl of Pembroke, was chofen to fucceed him.

ing, as he thought, but unduly, or, at leaft, not up to the worth of their learned and worthy profefsor, Dr. Prideaux. Mr. Mede could not hold, but as fome then prefent made the report, brake out into thefe, or the like words: Gentlemen, I beseech you, defiit; the man of whom you now "fpeak deferves far better words. It was his infirmity, let it be admitted, "in this to be overfeen. But he hath virtues and great accomplishments "far more than enough to make up this defect. That he is both learned "and pious it may not be queftioned; and one infirmity, amidst so many "perfections, is not to be regarded, nor ever made mention of by one "Chriftian towards another. Let me, therefore, take the boldness to crave "this at your hands, that you would defift from this difcourfe, and fall upon fome other more profitable argument." A noble example, and moft worthy of imitation! See "The Life of Mr. Mede," prefixed to his Works, p. xxi.

This great and good man was elected Chancellor of the Univerfity of Oxford, Nov. 3, 1610, and inftalled the 10th of the fame month. Upon his refignation, January 24, 1616, William Earl of Pembroke, Knight of the Garter, and Lord Chamberlain of the Household, was elected Jan. 29, in the fame year.

And in this year, our late King Charles I. (then Prince of Wales) came honourably attended to Oxford; and having deliberately visited the University, the Schools, Colleges, and Libraries, he and his attendants were entertained with ceremonies and feafting fuitable to their dignity and merits ".

And in this year King James fent letters to the University for the regulating their studies; especially of the young Divines: Advifing they should not rely on modern fums and systems, but ftudy the Fathers and Councils, and the more primitive learning.

u On this occafion Prince Charles was pleased, with his own hand writing, to matriculate himself of the University, Aug. 28, with this fymbol or fentence: "Si vis omnia subjicere, subjice te rationi." Carolus P.

At this time Puritanism and Calvinism increased daily at Oxford. Not only the Lecturers in each College, but other preachers in and about the University, pofitively maintained fuch points of doctrine as were not maintained or allowed by the Church of England. The King, by the advice of fuch Bishops and others of the Clergy as were then about him, dispatched upon the 18th of January, 1616, thefe directions following to the ViceChancellor, certain Heads of Houfes, the two Professors of Divinity, and the two Proctors of the University, to be carefully and speedily put in

execution:

"JAMES REX.

1. "His Majefty fignified his pleasure that he would have all that take any degree in fchooles to fubfcribe to the xxxix Articles.

2." That no Preacher be allowed to preach in the town, but such as 86 are every way conformable, both by fubfcription and every other way. 3. "That all ftudents do refort to the fermons at St. Mary's, and be re"ftrained from going to any other Church in the time of St. Mary's ferand that provifion be made that the fermons in St. Mary's be diligently made and performed, both forenoon and afternoon.

mons ;

4. 5.

That the ordinary divinity act be constantly kept with three replyers. That there be a great restraint for scholars haunting of town-houses, "efpecially in the night.

6. "That all fcholars, both at chappel and at the fchooles keep their "fcholaftical habits.

7. "That young ftudents in divinity be directed to study fuch books "as be most agreeable in doctrine and difcipline to the Church of England, "excited to beftow their time in the fathers and counfels, fchoolmen, hif"tories and controverfies, and not to infilt too long upon compendiums "and abbreviators, making them their grounds of their study in divinity. 8. "That no man, either in pulpit or in fchooles, be fuffered to main"tain dogmatically any point of doctrine that is not allowed by the Church "of England.

9. "That Mr. Vice-Chancellor and the two Professors, or two of the "Heads of Houfes do every Michaelmas term when his Majesty resorts " into those parts, wayte upon his Majesty, and give his Majesty a jult ac"compt how thefe his Majesty's inftructions are obferved."

It will not be deemed neceísary to notice any other of the degrees propofed by the delegates, than that which regards the feventh direction: "In "prælectionibus catechifticis, quæ in fingulis collegiis aulisve haberi foli"tæ funt, Chriftianæ fidei et religionis articuli xxxix in Synodo Londi"enfi, anno cIODLXII decreti leguntor, explicantorque per facrarum "Scripturarum axiomata, patrum antiquorum, conciliorum teftimonia fo"lidè confirmantor." See "Wood's Annals," &c. B. 1. p. 323, 324, 327, 328.

And this advice was occafioned by the indifcreet inferences made by very many preachers out of Mr. Calvin's doctrine concerning predeftination, univerfal redemption, the irrefiftibility of God's grace, and of fome other knotty points depending upon thefe: which many think were not, but by interpreters, forced to be Mr. Calvin's meaning; of the truth or falfehood of which I pretend not to have an ability to judge; my meaning in this relation being only to acquaint the reader with the occafion of the King's letter.

It may be observed that the various accidents of this year did afford our Proctor large and laudable matter to dilate and difcourse upon: And that though his office feemed, according to ftatute and cuftom, to require him to do fo at his leaving it; yet he chofe rather to pass them over with fome very fhort obfervations, and prefent the governors, and his other hearers, with rules to keep up difcipline and order in the University which at that time was either by defective ftatutes, or want of the due execution of those that were good, grown to be extremely irregular. And in this year also, the magisterial part of the Proctor required more diligence, and was more difficult to be managed than formerly, by reason of a multiplicity of new ftatutes, which begot much confufion; fome of which ftatutes were then, and not till then, and others fuddenly after, put into an useful execution. And though thefe ftatutes were not then made so perfectly ufeful as they were defigned, till Archbishop Laud's time (who afsifted in the forming and promoting them), yet our present Proctor made them as effectual as difcretion and diligence could do: Of which one example may feem worthy the noting, namely, that if in his night-walk he met with irregular Scholars abfent from their College at the University hours, or disordered by drink, or in fcandalous company, he did not ufe his power of punishing to an extremity; but did usually take their names, and a promise to appear before him, unfent for, next morning; and when they did, convinced them with fuch obligingness, and reafon added to it, that they parted from him with fuch refolutions as the man after God's own heart was pofsefsed with, when he faid to God, "There is mercy with "thee, and therefore thou fhalt be feared." And by this, and a like behaviour to all men, he was so happy as to lay down this dangerous employment, as but very few, if any, have done, even without an enemy.

After his Proctor's speech was ended, and he retired with a friend into a convenient privacy; he looked upon his friend with a more than a common cheerfulness, and fpake to him to this purpofe;"I look back upon my late employment with "fome content to myself, and a great thankfulness to Almigh66 ty God, that he hath made me of a temper not apt to provoke "the meanest of mankind, but rather to pafs by infirmities, if "noted; and in this employment I have had (God knows) many occafions to do both. And when I confider how many

"of a contrary temper are by fudden and small occafions tran"fported, and hurried by anger to commit fuch errors, as they "in that pafsion could not forefee, and will in their more calm "and deliberate thoughts upbraid and require repentance. "And confider, that though repentance fecures us from the "punishment of any fin, yet how much more comfortable "it is to be innocent, than need pardon: And confider, "that errors against men, though pardoned both by God "and them, do yet leave fuch anxious and upbraiding impref"sions in the memory as abates of the offender's content. "When I confider all this, and that God hath of his goodness

given me a temper that hath prevented me from running into "fuch enormities, I remember my temper with joy and thank"fulnefs. And though I cannot fay with David (I wish I could), "that therefore his praife (hall always be in my mouth;' yet "I hope, that by his grace, and that grace feconded by my en"deavours, it fhall never be blotted out of my memory; and I now befeech Almighty God that it never may."

66

And here I must look back, and mention one passage more in his Proctorship, which is, that Gilbert Sheldon, the late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, was this year y fent to Trinity College in that University; and not long after his entrance there, a letter was fent after him from his godfather (the father of our Proctor) to let his fon know it, and commend his godfon to his acquaintance, and to a more than common care of his behaviour; which proved a pleafing injunction to our Proctor, who was fo gladly obedient to his father's defire, that he fome few days after fent his Servitor to intreat Mr. Sheldon to his chamber next morning. But it feems Mr. Sheldon, having (like a young man as he was) run into fome fuch irregularity as made him confcious he had tranfgrefsed his ftatutes, did therefore apprehend the Proctor's invitation as an introduction to punishment; the fear of which made his bed reftlefs that night; but at their meeting the next morning that fear vanished immediately by the Proctor's cheerful countenance, and the freedom of their difcourfe of friends. And let me tell my reader, that this first meeting proved the beginning of as fpiritual a friendship as human nature is capable of; of a friendship free from all felfends and it continued to be fo till death forced a feparation of it on earth; but it is now re-united in heaven".

He

y He was admitted into Trinity.College in the latter end of 1613. took the degree of B. A. Nov. 27, 1617, and that of M. A. May 28, 1620. (Wood's Ath. Ox.)

"In all the dewy landscapes of the spring,
"In the bright eye of Hefper and the morn,
As virtuous friendship?"

(AKENSIDE'S PLEASURES OF THE IMAGINATION.)

F

And now, having given this account of his behaviour, and the, confiderable accidents in his Proctorship, I proceed to tell my reader, that this bufy employment being ended, he preached his fermon for his degree of Bachelor in Divinity in as elegant Latin, and as remarkable for the method and matter, as hath been preached in that Univerfity fince that day. And having well performed his other exercifes for that degree, he took it the 29th of May following, having been ordained Deacon and Priest in the year 1611, by John King, then Bishop of London, who had not long before been Dean of Christ-Church, and then knew him fo well, that he owned it at his Ordination, and became his more affectionate friend. And in this year, being then about the 29th of his age, he took from the University a licence to preach.

In the year 1618, he was by Sir Nicholas Sanderson, Lord Viscount Caftleton, prefented to the Rectory of Wibberton, not far from Boston, in the county of Lincoln, a living of very good value; but it lay in fo low and wet a part of that country, as was inconfiftent with his health. And health being (next to a good confcience) the greatest of God's blefsings in this life, and requiring therefore of every man a care and diligence to preferve it, and he, apprehending a danger of lofing it, if he continued at Wibberton a fecond winter, did therefore refign it back into the hands of his worthy kinfman and patron, about one year after his donation of it to him.

And about this time of his refignation he was prefented to the Rectory of Boothby Pannell in the fame county of Lincoln; a town which has been made famous, and must continue to be famous, because Dr. Sanderfon, the humble and learned Dr. Sanderson, was more than forty years Parfon of Boothby Pannell, and from thence dated all or most of his matchlefs writings.

a Dr. JOHN KING had this dignity conferred on him Aug. 4, 1605; and in 1611 he was made Bishop of London,

b Sir NICHOLAS SANDERSON of Saxby and of Filingham in Lincoln fhire, Kight, was created a Baronet in 1612, to James I. and afterward Viscount Caftleton in Ireland. Sir James Sanderion, lineally defcende! from him, was in 1715 made Baron Sanderfor of Saxby, in the county of Lincoln; in 1716, V:fCount Callieron of Sandbeck, in the county of York; and in 1720, Earl of Cattleton in the county of York.

c Wibberton R, St. Leodegar, in the Deanery of Holland, and Archdea. conry of Lincoln.

d Bothby, alias Boothby Pannell R. St. Andrew's, in the Deanery of Grantham, and A chdeaconry of Lincoln. He was inducted into this Rectory, Sept. 7, 1619, and was fucceeded by Humphrey Babbington, who was inducted Nov. 1. 1661. “On this place," faith Bishop Gibfon, “Dr. "Robert Sanderson, who was for fome years Rector here, has entailed a laft"ing name and honour."