Times from the Creation to the Destruction of Jerusalem. 26. Homilies on Isaiah. 27. Sermons on Jeremiah. 28. An Exposition on the Lamentation. 29. Commentaries on Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. 30. On the Acts of the Apostles. 31. A Series of Times and Actions of the Apostles. 32. Commentaries on the Epistles of St Paul. 33. Sermons on the Revelation. 34. A demonstration of Christian Perfection to Henry II. king of France. 35. Of the Authority of the Scripture. 36. Of the Institution of Bishops."

MATTHEW PARKER,

OUR

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

UR excellent prelate was the second Protestant archbishop of Canterbury, and was born August 6, 1504, in the parish of St Stephen's, in the city of Norwich. He had the misfortune to lose his father when he was only twelve years of age; but his mother took a very particular care of his education. In September, 1520, he was admitted into Corpus-Christi, or Bennet-college, in Cambridge; of which house he was chosen scholar, or bible-clerk, the twentieth of March following: And applying himself closely to his studies, took the degree of bachelor of arts in 1523; but, according to others, in 1524. In April, 1527, he was ordained deacon; in June, priest; and in September, created master of arts, and chosen fellow of his college. By this time he had rendered himself so conspicuous for learning, that he was one of those eminent scholars who were invited from Cambridge, to the magnificent foundation of cardinal Wolsey's [now Christ's Church] college, in Oxford: But by the persuasion of his friends, he stayed where he was, diligently following his studies. And having, within five or six years, read over the fathers and councils, and rendered himself an accomplished divine, he became a licensed, and frequent preacher, at court, at St Paul's-cross, and other public places and occasions. In 1533, or 1534, he was made chaplain to Q. Anne Bolein; who had so much regard and esteem for him, (he being a zealous promoter of the Reformation) that, a little before

her

her death, she gave him a particular charge, to take care of her daughter Elizabeth, that she might not want his pious and wise counsel.

July 14, 1534, he commenced bachelor in divinity. And being presented, on the fourth of November following, by the favour of the queen his mistress, to the deanery of Stoke, near Clare in Suffolk, he was installed the thirteenth of the same month. At this place he founded a grammar-school, and made new statutes for the college. March 1, 1537. after the queen's death, K. Henry took him into his own service, and made him one of his chaplains: As he was afterwards to K. Edward the sixth. During the rebellion that broke out that year, he preached at Clare, against popish superstitions, for which he was articled against by some of his neighbours; but his own vindication was so satisfactory to the lord chancellor Audeley, that he bid him go on, and not fear such enemies. On the first of July, 1538, he was created doctor in divinity: And, October 28, 1541, installed prebendary of the second stall in the cathedral of Ely, having been nominated thereto by K. Henry the eighth, in his new charter for that cathedral. In 1542, he was presented by the chapter of Stoke to the rectory of Ashen in Essex, conveniently situated both for Cambridge and Stoke. He held this living not full two years, but resigned it April 30, 1544, and the next day was presented to the rectory of Birlingham All-saints in his own country of Norfolk; which he resigned October 1, 1550. December 4, 1544, upon the king's letters commendatory to the college, dated November 30, he was chosen master of Corpus-Christi, or Bennet College, to which he afterwards became a special benefactor, and compiled for it a new book of statutes. January 25, 1544-5, he was elected vice-chancellor of the university, which office he discharged afterwards in the year 1549. The twenty-second of September, 1545, he was presented by his college of Corpus-Christi, to the rectory of Landbeach, in Cambridgeshire, to which he was admitted December 1st. Notwithstanding all his endeavours to the contrary, he lost his deanery of Stoke by the dissolution of that college, April 1, 1547; but, in consideration of his merit, he had a yearly pension of forty pounds settled on him, in lieu of it, and a promise of the deanery of Lincoln. In the same year, on the twenty-fourth of June, he married Mrs Margaret Harlestone, daughter of Robert Harlestone of Mattishal in Norfolk, gent. Happening to be in Norfolk, in 1549, during Ket's rebellion, he had the resolution to go

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to the rebels' camp; and, preaching to them out of the "Oak of Reformation," took an opportunity to exhort them to temperance, moderation, and submission to the king. In January 1550-1, he was put into a commission for correcting and punishing some Anabaptists, newly sprung up in the kingdom. Mr Strype gives us this account of their opinions: They would not baptize their ⚫ children; held as the Arians in the doctrine of the Godhead, and as Pelagius in the doctrine of free-will and predestination: All these came under the denomination of Anabaptists. Many also administered the sacraments in other manner than was prescribed by the book ⚫ of Common-Prayer.' The February following, he preached a funeral sermon for doctor Martin Bucer, regius professor of divinity in Cambridge. June 1, 1552, he was presented by K. Edward VI. to the prebend of Coringham, or Coldingham, in the cathedral church of Lincoln; and being nominated, a few days after, by his majesty, to the deanery of the same church, he was elected July 30, and installed the seventh of October following.

Thus he lived in great reputation under K. Henry VIII. and Edward VI. But, upon Q. Mary's coming to the crown, he was reduced to low circumstances, and suffered much; though still contented and chearful: For, in the second year of her reign, he was deprived of all his preferments, of which the pretence was his being married. According to his own account, " In December 1553, " he resigned his mastership of Corpus-Christi-college to "Laurence Moptye, whom in a kind of necessity he chose "his successor. April 2, 1554, he was deprived of his "prebend of Ely, and rectory of Landbeach. May 21, "so he was of his deanery and prebend of Lincoln.".

"After that, (adds he) I lived privately; so joyful in my "conscience before GOD; and so neither ashamed nor "dejected, that the most sweet leisure for study, to which "the good providence of GOD recalled me, gave me "much greater and more solid pleasures, than that for"mer busy and dangerous kind of life ever afforded me." He had so heartily espoused the Reformation, which rendered him obnoxious, that he was fain to abscond, and to retire privately into Norfolk, among his friends, with his wife and family. He was often and diligently sought for, yet by shifting from place to place, without, however, going out of the kingdom, he escaped those bloody times, and was reserved for better days. One time, narrow search being made in order to take him; he receiving notice of