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To this Living (which was of lefs value, but a purer air than Wibberton), he was prefented by Thomas Harrington of the fame county and parish, Efq. a gentleman of a very ancient family, and of great use and efteem in his country during his whole life. And in this Boothby Pannell the meek and charitable Dr. Sanderson and his patron lived with an endearing, mutual, and comfortable friendship, till the death of the last put a period to it.

About the time that he was made Parfon of Boothby Pannell, he refigned his Fellowship of Lincoln College unto the then Rector and Fellows; and his refignation is recorded in these words f:

Ego Robertus Sanderson per, &c.

I Robert Sanderson, Fellow of the College of St. Mary's and All-Saints, commonly called Lincoln College in the University of Oxford, do freely and willingly resign into the hands of the Rector and Fellows, all the right and title that I have in the said College, wishing to them and their successors, all peace, and piety, and happiness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

May 6, 1619.

ROBERT SANDERSON.

And not long after this refignation, he was by the then Bishop of York 8, (or the King, Sede vacante), made Prebendary

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e To this gentleman, his very kind neighbour and patron, he has dedicated three fermons, printed in 1637. Living fo long under my charge, as I doe alfo under your patronage, you never yet gave me the leaft caufe to thinke myfelf either defpifed in the work, or defrauded in the wages "of my miniftry. Which as it is a gracious evidence of a pious and fin"cere heart in you, fo it is a circumftance wherein I am happy beyond "the condition of most of my brethren in the fame calling."

(Epistle Dedicatory, &c.)

f The name of Robert Sanderfon first appears in the Register of Lincoln College, fubfcribed to the order of the College Chapter of the 6th of May, 1606; and it appears that he was a refident Fellow till the time of his refignation, which is inferted in the Regifter with his own hand, in the College Chapter of the 6th of May, 1619, in the following affectionate and folemn form :

6 Maii, 1619.

Ego Robertus Sanderson, perpetuus socius Collegii B. Mariæ et omnium Sanctorum Lincoln in Universitate Oxon. totum meum jus quod habeo in dicta Societate in manus Domini Rectoris et sociorum ibidem sponte et liberè resigno, exoptans illis universis et singulis et successoribus eorum pacem, pietatem, et omnimodam felicitatem, in nomine Patris, Filii,`et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. Teltor, ROBERTUS SANDERSON.

Dr. TOBIAS MATTHEW was then Archbishop of York. He died March 29, 1628, in the 83d y dyear of his age.

of the Collegiate Church of Southwell in that Diocefe; and fhortly after of Lincoln by the Bishop of that See 1.

And being now refolved to fet down his reft in a quiet privacy at Boothby Pannell, and looking back with fome fadness upon his removal from his general, and cheerful acquaintance left in Oxford, and the peculiar pleasures of a Univerfity life; he could not but think the want of fociety would render this of a country Parson still more uncomfortable, by reason of that want of converfation; and therefore he did put on fome faint purposes to marry. For he had confidered, that though marriage be cumbered with more worldly care than a fingle life; yet a complying and prudent wife changes thofe very cares into fo mutual joys, as makes them become like the fufferings of St. Paul, which he would not have wanted, because they occafioned his rejoicing in them. And he having well confidered this, and obferved the fecret unutterable joys that children beget in parents, and the mutual pleasures and contented trouble of their daily care and conftant endeavours to bring up thofe little images of themselves, fo, as to make them as happy as all thofe cares and endeavours can make them: He, having confidered all this; the hopes of fuch happiness turned his faint purpofe into a pofitive refolution to marry. And he was fo happy as to obtain Anne, the daughter of Henry Nelson, Bachelor in Divinity, then Rector of Haugham in the county of Lincoln, a man of noted worth and learning. And the Giver of all good things was fo good to him, as to give him fuch a wife as was fuitable to his own defires; a wife that made his life happy, by being always content when he was cheerful; that was always cheerful when he was content; that divided her joys with him, and abated of his forrow, by bearing a part of that burden; a wife that demonftrated her affection by a cheerful obedience to all his defires, during the whole course of his life; and at his death too, for fhe out-lived him.

And in this Boothby Pannell he either found or made his, parishioners peaceable and complying with him in the conftant, decent, and regular fervice of God. And thus his parith, his patron, and he lived together in a religious love, and a contented quietnefs; he not troubling their thoughts by preaching high and useless notions, but fuch, and only fuch plain truths as were necessary to be known, believed, and practised in order to the honour of God and their own falvation. And their affent to what he taught was teftified by fuch a conformity to his doctrine, as declared they believed and loved him. For it may be noted he would often fay, "That without the laft, the "most evident truths (heard as from an enemy, or an evil liver)

h Dr. GEORGE MOUNTAIN, Bishop of Lincoln, was tranflated to London, July 20, 1621. It is probable, that Dr. John Williams, his immgdiate fuccefsor in the See of Lincoln, was the patron of Dr. Sanderson.

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"either are not (or at least the lefs) effectual; and usually ra"ther harden, than convince the hearer."

And this excellent man did not think his duty discharged by only reading the church-prayers, catechifing, preaching, and adminiftering the facraments feafonably; but thought (if the law or the canons may feem to enjoin no more, yet) that God would require more than the defective laws of man's making can or do enjoin; even the performance of that inward law, which Almighty God hath imprinted in the confcience of all good Chriftians, and inclines those whom he loves to perform. He, confidering this, did therefore become a law to himself, practising not only what the law enjoins, but what his confcience told him was his duty, in reconciling differences, and preventing law-fuits, both in his parish and in the neighbourhood. To which may be added his often vifiting fick and difconfolate families, perfuading them to patience, and raifing them from dejection by his advice and cheerful discourse, and by adding his own alms, if there were any fo poor as to need it; confidering how acceptable it is to Almighty God, when we do as we are advised by St. Paul,Help to bear one another's burden;" either of forrow or want: And what a comfort it will be, when the Searcher of all hearts fhall call us to a ftrict account as well for that evil we have done, as the good we have omitted; to remember we have comforted and been helpful to a dejected or diftrefsed family.

And that his practice was to do good, the following narra tive may be one example. "He met with a poor dejected "neighbour that complained he had taken a meadow, the rent "of which was 91. a year; and when the hay was made ready "to be carried into his barn, feveral days conftant rain had "fo raised the water, that a sudden flood carried all away, and "his rich landlord would bate him no rent; and that unless "he had half abated, he and seven children were utterly un"done." It may be noted, that in this age there are a fort of people fo unlike the God of mercy, fo void of the bowels of pity, that they love only themselves and children; love them fo, as not to be concerned, whether the reft of mankind waste their days in forrow or fhame; people that are curfed with riches, and a mistake that nothing but riches can make them and theirs happy. But it was not fo with Dr. Sanderson, for he was concerned, and fpoke comfortably to the poor dejected man; bade him go home and pray, and not load himself with forrow, for he would go to his landlord next morning, and if his landlord would not abate what he defired, he and a friend would pay it for him.

To the landlord he went the next day; and in a conference the Doctor prefented to him the fad condition of his poor dejected tenant, telling him how much God is pleafed "when

men compassionate the poor;" And told him, that "though "God loves facrifice, yet he loves mercy fo much better, that'

he is beft pleafed when he is called the God of Mercy:" And told him, "the riches he was pofsefsed of were given him by "that God of Mercy, who would not be pleafed if he that had "fo much given, yea, and forgiven him too, fhould prove like "the rich Steward in the Gofpel, that took his fellow servant by "the throat to make him pay the utmost farthing." This he told him: And told him, that "the law of this nation (by which "law he claims his rent) does not undertake to make men ho"neft or merciful: That was too nice an undertaking; but "does what it can to restrain men from being difhoneft or un"merciful, and yet that our law was defective in both; and "that taking any rent from his poor tenant, for what God fuf"fered him not to enjoy, though the law allowed him to do fo, 86 yet if he did fo, he was too like that rich Steward which he "had mentioned to him:" And told him, that "riches fo "gotten, and added to his great eftate, would, as Job fays, prove "like gravel in his teeth; would in time fo corrode his confcience,

or become fo naufeous when he lay upon his death-bed, that "he would then labour to vomit it up, and not be able: And "therefore advised him (being very rich) to make friends of "his unrighteous Mammon, before that evil day come upon him: "But however, neither for his own fake, nor for God's fake, "to take any rent of his poor dejected fad tenant, for that were "to gain a temporal and lofe his eternal happinefs." Thefe and other fuch reasons were urged with fo grave and fo compassionate an earneftness, that the landlord forgave his tenant the whole rent.

The reader will eafily believe that Dr. Sanderfon, who was himself fo meek and merciful, did fuddenly and gladly carry this comfortable news to the dejected tenant; and will believe alfo, that at the telling of it there was a mutual rejoicing. It was one of Job's boafts, that he had feen none perith for "want of clothing; and that he had often made the heart of "the widow to rejoice." And doubtlefs Dr. Sanderson might have made the fame religious boaft of this, and very many like occafions but fince he did not, I rejoice that I have this just occafion to do it for him; and that I can tell the reader, I might tire myself and him in telling how like the whole courte of Dr. Sanderfon's life was to this which I have now related'.

i Mr. Walton generally quotes from memory. "Bread of Deceit is "sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth fhall be filled with gravel." Prov. xx. 17.

k It is related of Dr. Hammond, that having fet the tithe of a large meadow, and received part of the money at the beginning of the year, it happening that the product was afterward fpoiled by a flood, he returned all the money to the poor tenant, faying, "God forbid I fhould take the "tenth, where you have not the nine parts."

Is it pofsible to read the above defcription without great pleafure? May every Clergyman of the Church of England seriously contemplate this

excellent

Thus he went on in an obfcure and quiet privacy, doing good daily both by word and by deed as often as any occafion offered itfelf; yet not fo obfcurely, but that his very great learning, prudence, and piety, were much noted and valued by the Bifhop of his Diocese, and by most of the nobility and gentry of that county. By the first of which he was often fummoned to preach many Vifitation Sermons, and by the latter at many Afsizes. Which Sermons, though they were much efteemed by them that procured and were fit to judge them, yet they were the lefs valued, because he read them, which he was forced to do; for though he had an extraordinary memory, (even the art of it), yet he was punished with fuch an innate invincible fear and bafhfulness, that his memory was wholly useless as to the repetition of his fermons, fo as he had writ them; which gave occafion to fay, when fome of them were firft printed and expofed to cenfure (which was in the year 1632), "that the beft fermons that were ever read were never "preached."

In this contented obfcurity he continued till the learned and pious Archbishop Laud, who knew him well in Oxford (for

excellent portrait! Not merely content with the tranfitory gaze of admiration, may he faithfully copy, and accurately express the tranfcript of it in his own life and manners!-Dr. Featley tells us, that "there were few "gentlemen of his acquaintance whom Dr. Sanderson had not directed "to fome noble and charitable work for men's improvement or relief: he, "their great cafuift, having their hearts and purfes at his devoir, and "ufing his happy power, always to their honour, comfort, and infinite "fatisfaction." See "Reason and Judgment," &c. p. 29.

In the collection of his Sermons, we find five preached ad Clerum, at the Vifitations held at Bolton or Grantham; one preached ad Magistra tum, at a public Sefsions at Grantham; four at the Afsizes at Lincoln, and one at the Afsizes at Nottingham.

Whom the author of "The Confefsional" hath diftinguished with the harth epithet of malicious. The noble hiftorian has delineated the character of this great Prelate with his usual ability and candour: "He "was a man of great parts, and very exemplary virtues, allayed and dif"credited by fome unpopular natural infirmities; the greatest of which "was (befides a hafty fharp way of exprefsing himself) that he believed "innocence of heart and integrity of manners was a guard ftrong enough to fecure any man in his voyage through this world, in what company "foever he travelled, and through what ways foever he was to pafs: and "fure never any man was better fupplied with that provifion. He was "always maligned and perfecuted by thofe who were of the Calvinian fac"tion, which was then very powerful; and who, according to their usual "maxim and practice, call every man they do not love, Papiít;' and "under this fenfelefs appellation, they created him many troubles and "vexations.' (History of the Rebellion, &c. Vol. I. p. 90.)——Archbishop Laud's excellent book against Fisher the Jefuit, and his fuccefs in recovering Mr. Chillingworth from Popery, afford inconteftible proots of his learning, and his fincere attachment to the Church of England. Not to mention other inftances of his liberality; how nobly did he beltow his

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patronage,

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