kindneffes and love; because Love thinks not evil, but covers a multitude of infirmi

ties.

He was diligent to enquire who of his parish were fick, or any ways distressed, and would often vifit them, unfent for ; fuppofing that the fittest time to discover to them those errors, to which health and prosperity had blinded them. And having by pious reafons and prayers moulded them into holy refolutions for the time to come, he would incline them to confeffion and bewailing their fins, with purpose to forfake them, and then to receive the Communion, both as a strengthening of thofe holy refolutions, and as a feal betwixt God and them of his mercies to their fouls, in cafe that prefent ficknefs did put a period to their lives.

And as he was thus watchful and charitable to the fick, fo he was as diligent to prevent law-fuits, ftill urging his parishioners and neighbours to bear with each other's infirmities, and live in love, because, as St. John says, He that lives in love, lives in God; for God is love. And,

VOL. I.

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to

to maintain this holy fire of love conftantly burning on the altar of a pure heart, his advice was to watch and pray, and always keep themselves fit to receive the Communion, and then to receive it often; for it was both a confirming and ftrengthening of their graces. This was his advice; and at his entrance or departure out of any houfe, he would ufually speak to the whole family, and bless them by name; infomuch, that as he feemed in his youth to be taught of God, fo he seemed in this place to teach his precepts, as Enoch did, by walking with him in all holiness and humility, making each day a step towards a blessed eternity. And though, in this weak and declining age of the world, fuch examples are become barren, and almost incredible; yet let his memory be bleft with this true recordation, because he that praises Richard Hooker, praises God, who hath given fuch gifts to men; and let this humble and affectionate relation of him become fuch a pattern, as may invite posterity to imitate these his virtues.

This was his conftant behaviour both at Borne, and in all the places in which he lived: thus did he walk with God, and tread the footsteps of primitive piety`; and yet, as that great example of meekness and purity, even our bleffed Jesus, was not free from falfe accufations, no more was this difciple of his, this most humble, moft innocent, holy man. His was a flander parallel to that of chafte Sufannah's by the wicked Elders; or that against St. Athanafius, as it is recorded in his life, (for that holy man had heretical enemies,) a flander which this age calls trepanning. The particulars need not a repetition; and that it was falfe, needs no other teftimony than the public punishment of his accusers, and their open confeffion of his innocency. It was faid, that the accufation was contrived by a diffenting brother, one that endured not church-ceremonies, hating him for his book's fake, which he was not able to answer; and his name hath been told me: but I have not fo much confidence in the relation, as to make my pen fix a scandal on him to pofterity; I

fhall rather leave it doubtful till the great day of revelation. But this is certain, that he lay under the great charge, and the anxiety of this accufation, and kept it fecret to himself for many months; and, being a helpless man, had lain longer under this heavy burthen, but that the protector of the innocent gave fuch an accidental occafion, as forced him to make it known to his two dearest friends, Edwyn Sandys, and George Cranmer, who were fo fenfible of their tutor's fufferings, that they gave themselves no rest, till by their difquifitions and diligence they had found out the fraud, and brought him the welcome news, that his accufers did confefs they had wronged him, and begged his pardon. To which the good man's reply was to this purpose: "The Lord for"give them; and the Lord bless you for "this comfortable news. Now I have a "juft occafion to fay with Solomon, "Friends are born for the days of adverfity; "and fuch you have proved to me. And "to my God I fay, as did the mother of "St. John Baptift, Thus bath the Lord

"dealt

"dealt with me, in the day wherein be "looked upon me, to take away my reproach

66

among men. And, O my God, neither "my life, nor my reputation, are fafe in "mine own keeping; but in thine, who "didft take care of me when I yet hanged 66 upon my mother's breast. Bleffed are "they that put their truft in thee, O "Lord: for when falfe witneffes were "rifen up against me; when shame was "ready to cover my face; when my nights "were restless; when my foul thirfted for "a deliverance, as the hart panteth after "the rivers of waters; then thou, Lord, "didft hear my complaints, pity my condi ❝tion, and art now become my deliverer; "and as long as I live I will hold up my "hands in this manner, and magnify thy "mercies, who didst not give me over as "a prey to mine enemies: the net is "broken, and they are taken in it. Oh! "bleffed are they that put their trust "in thee. And no profperity fhall make "me forget thofe days of forrow, or "to perform those vows that I have "made to thee in the days of my affliction;

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