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THE LIFE OF

together, and walked in the house of God as friends." By which means they improved this friendship to such a degree of holy amity as bordered upon heaven: a friendship so sacred, that when it ended in this world, it began in that next, where it shall have no end.

And, though this world cannot give any degree of pleasure equal to such a friendship, yet, obedience to parents, and a desire to know the affairs, manners, laws, and learning of other nations, that they might thereby become the more serviceable unto their own, made them put off their gowns, and leave the college and Mr. Hooker to his studies; in which he was daily more assiduous: still enriching his quiet and capacious soul with the precious learning of the philosophers, casuists, and schoolmen; and with them, the foundation and reason of all laws, both sacred and civil; and indeed, with such other learning as lay most remote from the track of common studies. And as he was diligent in these, so he seemed restless in searching the scope and intention of God's Spirit revealed to mankind in the sacred scripture for the understanding of which, he seemed to be assisted by the same Spirit with which they were written; He that regardeth truth in the inward parts, making him to understand wisdom secretly. And the good man would often say, that "God abhors con"fusion as contrary to his nature;" and as often say, that

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the scripture was not writ to beget disputations and pride, "and opposition to government; but moderation, charity, " and humility, obedience to authority, and peace to mankind: "of which virtues," he would as often say, "no man did ever "repent himself upon his death-bed." And, that this was really his judgment, did appear in his future writings, and in all the actions of his life. Nor was this excellent man a stranger to the more light and airy parts of learning, as musick and poetry; all which he had digested, and made useful; and of all which the reader will have a fair testimony, in what will follow.

In the year 1579, the chancellor of the university was given to understand, that the publick Hebrew lecture was not read according to the statutes; nor could be, by reason of a distemper that had then seized the brain of Mr. Kingsmill, who was to read it; so that it lay long unread,

to the great detriment of those that were studious of that language therefore, the chancellor writ to his vice-chancellor, and the university, that he had heard such commendations of the excellent knowledge of Mr. Richard Hooker in that tongue, that he desired he might be procured to read it and he did, and continued to do so, till he left Oxford.

Within three months after his undertaking this lecture (namely, in October 1579) he was, with Dr. Reynolds and others, expelled his college; and this letter, transcribed from Dr. Reynolds his own hand, may give some account of it.

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"To Sir Francis Knolles.

"I am sorry, right honourable, that I am enforced to "make unto you such a suit, the which, I cannot move it, "but I must complain of the unrighteous dealing of one of "our college; who hath taken upon him, against all law "and reason, to expel out of our house both me and Mr. "Hooker, and three other of our fellows, for doing that 'which by oath we were bound to do. Our matter must "be heard before the Bishop of Winchester, with whom "I do not doubt but we shall find equity. Howbeit, foras"much as some of our adversaries have said, that the bishop "is already forestalled, and will not give us such audience as "we do look for; therefore I am humbly to beseech your "honour, that you will desire the bishop by your letters to "let us have justice; though it be with rigour, so it be "justice: our cause is so good, that I am sure we shall "prevail by it. Thus much I am bold to request of your "honour for Corpus Christi college sake, or rather for "Christ's sake; whom I beseech to bless you with daily "increase of His manifold gifts, and the blessed graces of "His Holy Spirit.

"Your Honour's,

"in Christ to command,

JOHN RAINOLDES."

"London, October 9, 1579."

This expulsion was by Dr. John Barfoote, then vice-president of the college, and chaplain to Ambrose earl of Warwick. I cannot learn the pretended cause; but, that they were restored the same month is most certain.

I return to Mr. Hooker in his college, where he continued his studies in all quietness for the space of three years; about which time, he entered into sacred orders, being then made Deacon and Priest; and, not long after, was appointed to preach at St. Paul's Cross.

In order to which sermon, to London he came, and immediately to the Shunammite's house; (which is a house so called, for that, besides the stipend paid the preacher, there is provision made also for his lodging and diet for two days before, and one day after his sermon.) This house was then kept by John Churchman, sometime a draper of good note in Watling-street, upon whom poverty had at last come like an armed man, and brought him into a necessitous condition: which, though it be a punishment, is not always an argument of God's disfavour, for he was a virtuous man: I shall not yet give the like testimony of his wife, but leave the reader to judge by what follows. But to this house Mr. Hooker came so wet, so weary, and weatherbeaten, that he was never known to express more passion, than against a friend that dissuaded him from footing it to London, and for finding him no easier an horse; supposing the horse trotted, when he did not: and at this time also, such a faintness and fear possest him, that he would not be persuaded two days' rest and quietness, or any other means could be used to make him able to preach his Sunday's sermon; but a warm bed, and rest, and drink, proper for a cold, given him by Mrs. Churchman, and her diligent attendance added unto it, enabled him to perform the office of the day, which was in or about the year 1581.

And in this first public appearance to the world, he was not so happy as to be free from exceptions against a point of doctrine delivered in his sermon, which was, "That in "God there were two wills; an antecedent, and a consequent "will his first will, that all mankind should be saved; but "his second will was, that those only should be saved, that

"did live answerable to that degree of grace which he had "offered, or afforded them." This seemed to cross a late opinion of Mr. Calvin's, and then taken for granted by many that had not a capacity to examine it, as it had been by him before, and hath been since by Master Henry Mason, Dr. Jackson, Dr. Hammond, and others of great learning, who believed that a contrary opinion entrenches upon the honour and justice of our merciful God. How he justified this, I will not undertake to declare: but it was not excepted against (as Mr. Hooker declares in his rational answer to Mr. Travers) by John Elmer, then Bishop of London, at this time one of his auditors, and at last one of his advocates too, when Mr. Hooker was accused for it.

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But the justifying of this doctrine did not prove of so bad consequence, as the kindness of Mrs. Churchman's curing him of his late distemper and cold; for that was so gratefully apprehended by Mr. Hooker, that he thought himself bound in conscience to believe all that she said: so that the good man came to be persuaded by her," that he was a man of a ten"der constitution;" and "that it was best for him to have “a wife, that might prove a nurse to him; such an one as "might both prolong his life, and make it more comfortable; “and such an one she could and would provide for him, if he thought fit to marry." And he not considering that “the “children of this world are wiser in their generation than "the children of light;" but, like a true Nathanael, fearing no guile, because he meant none, did give her such a power as Eleazar was trusted with, (you may read it in the book of Genesis,) when he was sent to choose a wife for Isaac; for, even so he trusted her to choose for him, promising upon a fair summons to return to London, and accept of her choice; and he did so in that or about the year following. Now the wife provided for him, was her daughter Joan, who brought him neither beauty nor portion; and for her conditions, they were too like that wife's, which is by Solomon compared to “a dripping house:" so that the good man had no reason to "rejoice in the wife of his youth," but too just cause to say with the holy Prophet," Wo is me, that I am constrained to “have my habitation in the tents of Kedar!"

This choice of Mr. Hooker's (if it were his choice) may be

wondered at; but let us consider that the prophet Ezekiel says, "There is a wheel within a wheel;" a secret sacred wheel of Providence (most visible in marriages), guided by his hand, that "allows not the race to the swift," nor "bread "to the wise," nor good wives to good men: and he that can bring good out of evil (for mortals are blind to this reason) only knows why this blessing was denied to patient Job, to meek Moses, and to our as meek and patient Mr. Hooker. But so it was; and let the reader cease to wonder, for "affliction is a divine diet;" which, though it be not pleasing to mankind, yet Almighty God hath often, very often imposed it as good, though bitter physick to those children whose souls are dearest to him.

And by this marriage the good man was drawn from the tranquillity of his college; from that garden of piety, of pleasure, of peace, and a sweet conversation, into the thorny wilderness of a busy world; into those corroding cares that attend a married priest, and a country parsonage; which was Draiton Beauchamp in Buckinghamshire (not far from Ailesbury, and in the diocese of Lincoln); to which he was presented by John Cheny, esq., then patron of it, the 9th of December 1584, where he behaved himself so as to give no occasion of evil, but (as St. Paul adviseth a minister of God) "in much patience, in afflictions, in anguishes, in necessities; in poverty, and no doubt in long-suffering;" yet troubling no man with his discontents and wants.

And in this condition he continued about a year, in which time his two pupils, Edwin Sandys and George Cranmer, took a journey to see their tutor; where they found him with a book in his hand (it was the Odes of Horace), he being then, like humble and innocent Abel, tending his small allotment of sheep in a common field, which he told his pupils he was forced to do then, for that his servant was gone home to dine, and assist his wife to do some necessary household business. When his servant returned and released him, then his two pupils attended him unto his house, where their best entertainment was his quiet company, which was presently denied them; for "Richard was called to rock the cradle;" and the rest of their welcome was so like this, that they stayed but till the next morning, which was time enough to