seeds of eternity, that, if the rest be like this, they shall continue till the last fire shall devour all learning: All which, whether the pope said it or no, may possibly be strictly true of the books themselves.

His WORKS. Besides the eight books of "Ecclesiastical Polity," and his "Answer to Mr Traver's Supplication," there are some "Sermons" of Mr Hooker's in being, which of late have been collected and printed in the volume of his works in folio.

OF

JOHN HOLLAND.

F this excellent person, we have no remains, but a short account of his death, which was so truly exemplary and edifying, that we cannot but present it to our Readers. We suppose this event to have occurred about the year 1600.

The day before he died he called for the bible, saying, "Come, O come; death approaches: Let us gather some "flowers to comfort this hour."

And turning with his own hand to Romans viii. he gave me the book, says Mr Leigh, and bade me read: And at the end of every verse he would have a pause; and then gave the sense to his own comfort, but more to the joy and wonder of his friends. Pity it is, that we have not what he said on this occasion, and that some of his writings are kept from the public view. Having continued his meditations on Romans viii. thus read to him for two hours or more, on a sudden he said," O stay your "reading. What brightness is this I see? Have you "lighted up any candles ?" To which, says Mr Leigh, I answered, No: It is the sun-shine;' for it was about five o'clock in a clear summer's evening.) Sun-shine! "(said he) Nay, my Saviour's shine.-Now farewell "world; welcome heaven. The day-star from on high "hath visited my heart. O speak it when I am gone, "and preach it at my funeral; GOD DEALETH FAMILI"ARLY WITH MAN. I feel his mercy; I see his ma"jesty; whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell, "God knoweth : But I see things that are unutterable.”Thus ravished in spirit, he roamed towards heaven with a cheerful look, and soft sweet voice; but what

he said we could not conceive. At last, shrinking down, he gave a sigh with these words: "Ah, yet it will not "be. My sins keep me from my God."

Thus that evening, twice rising, and twice falling, with the sun; in the morning following, he rose never to fall; when again raising himself, as Jacob did upon his staff, he shut up his blessed life with these blessed words: "O what a happy change shall I make! From death to "life! From sorrow to solace! From a factious world "to a heavenly being! O my dear brethren, sisters, and friends, it pitieth me to leave you behind. Yet remember my death when I am gone; and what I now « feel, I hope you shall find ere you die, that God doth and will deal familiarly with men. And now, thou "fiery chariot, that camest down to fetch up Elijah, "carry me to my happy hold. And all ye blessed angels, "who attended the soul of Lazarus to bring it up to hea"ven, bear me, O bear me into the bosom of my best Be❝ loved. Amen, Amen. Come, Lord Jesus; come quickly.” And so he fell asleep.

ALEXANDER NOWELL, D. D.

DEAN OF ST PAUL's.

ALEXANDER NOWEL, or Nowell, a learned divine

in the sixteenth century, was the second son of John Nowell of Great-Meerley in Lancashire, an ancient family, and born at Read, in that county, in 1511. At thirteen years of age he was admitted in Brazen-nose-college in Oxford, where making great progress in grammar, logic, and philosophy, he took the degree of bachelor of arts, May 29, 1536, and that of master June 10, 1540. Before he took this last degree he was elected fellow of his college, and grew very famous for piety and learning, and for his zeal in promoting the Reformation of religion. In the reign of K. Edward VI. and perhaps before, he kept a school in Westminster, wherein he trained the youth up in Protestant principles. He was an allowed Preacher by licence from that king, about the year 1550; and, December 5, 1551, was installed prebendary of Westminster. In the first parliament of Q. Mary I. at Westminster, he was re

turned

turned one of the burgesses for Portpigham, alias Westlooe, in Cornwall; but his election was declared void, because, as he was prebendary of Westminster, and, by virtue of that, had a voice in the convocation-house, therefore he could not be a member of the house of commons. Being a noted Protestant, he was marked out, with some other eminent divines, for a sacrifice to popish persecution in that bloody reign; had not Mr Francis Bowyer, afterwards sheriff of London in 1577, rescued him from the danger, and safely conveyed him beyond sea. He withdrew to Frankfort with the rest of the English exiles; and joining himself to the episcopal church there, subscribed, among the rest, to the discipline they established. He was also one of the subscribers to an excellent letter, sent from Frankfort to the discontented English exiles at Geneva, dated the third of January, 1559 *. Upon the death of Q. Mary, and accession of Q. Elizabeth, he was the first of our Protestant exiles that returned to England: And soon after obtained many and considerable preferments. For, January 1, 1559-60, he was presented to the archdeaconry of Middlesex, which he resigned the year following: And, June 21, was made the first canon of the seventh stall in the collegiate church of Westminster. But this he quitted again, upon his being elected dean of St Paul's cathedral in London, November 17, 1560. The third of December ensuing, he was collated to the prebend of Wildland in the same church: And December 28, 1562, to the rectory of Hadham in Hertfordshire. Thus quietly

* In that letter are thefe moderate and pacific expreffions. For ceremonies to contende (where it shall lye neither in your hands or oures to appoint what they fhall be, but in fuche menues wifdomes as fhall be appointed to the devifing off the fame, and whiche fhall be reccyved by common confent off the parliament) it fhal be to fmall purpos. But we trufte that bothe true religion fhall be restored, and that we shall not be

burthened with unprofitable ceremonies And therefore, as we purpos to submit oure felves to fuch orders, as fhall be established by authoritie, beinge not of themselves wicked, fo we would wifhe yow willingly to do the fame. For, whereas all the Reformed churches differ amonge ⚫ themselves in divers ceremonies, and yet agree in the unitie of doctrine: We fe no inconvenience if we ufe fome ceremonies divers from them, so that we agree in the chief points of our religion. Notwithstandinge, if anie hal be intruded, that shal be offenfive, we, upon jutte conference and deliberation upon the fame at oure meetinge with yow in Englande, (whiche we trufte by God's grace, will be shortly) wil brotherly joine with yow to be sewters for the Reformation and abolithinge of the fame. In the meane feafon, let us with one harte and mind cal to the Almightie God, that of his infinit mercie, he will finishe and establishe that worke that he hathe begon in oure countrie.'

VOL. II.

*

settled

settled again in his own country, he became a frequent and painful preacher, and a zealous writer against the English catholics that had fled out of the kingdom; as will appear in the sequel. For thirty years together he preached the first and last sermons in the time of Lent before the queen, wherein he dealt plainly and faithfully with her, without dislike; only at one time speaking less reverently of the sign of the cross, she called aloud to him from her closet window, commanding him to retire from that ungodly digression, and to return to his text. At the recommendation of archbishop Parker, he was chosen prolocutor of the lower house of convocation, in 1562, when the articles of religion were settled. In 1564, when the debates ran high between the churchmen and puritans about the use of the garments, dean Nowell appears to have been moderate upon that subject. For he was for the general using of them, but with a protestation, that it were desirable, these differences of garments were taken away. In the year 1572, he founded a free-school at Middleton, in his native county of Lancashire, for teaching the then rude inhabitants the principles of learning and true religion. He was one of those learned divines, who had, in 1581, some conferences with Edmund Campian in the tower, which were published in 1583.

August 20, 1588, he preached a thanksgiving sermon at Paul's Cross, for the deliverance from the Spanish armada; when he exhorted his audience, to give praise and thanks to God for that great mercy. Having soon after resigned his prebend of Wildland, he was collated, November 1, 1588, to that of Tottenhall, which he kept as long as he lived. About the beginning of the year 1589, he resigned the rectory of Hadham; and, April 28, 1594, was installed canon of Windsor. September 6, 1595, he was elected principal of Brazen-nose-college in Oxford, and, October 1st following, actually created doctor in divinity, with allowance of seniority over all the doctors then in the university, not only in regard of his age, but of his dignity in the church. He resigned his place of principal December 14, 1595. After having arrived to the long and uncommon age of ninety, and enjoyed to the last a perfect use of his senses and faculties, he departed this life February 13, 1601-2, and was buried in the chapel of the virgin Mary, within the cathedral of St Paul. Soon after, a comely monument was erected over his grave, with a Latin epitaph. He was so fond of fishing, that his picture, kept in Brazen-nose-college, Oxford, represents

him surrounded with hooks, lines, and other apparatus of that sort. He gave an estate of two hundred pounds a year to Brazen-nose-college: And was also a benefactor to St Paul's school.

He was, in the time he lived, a very learned man; reckoned an excellent divine, and much esteemed by the heads of our church. His charity to the poor was great and exemplary, especially if they had any thing of a scholar in them; and his comfort to the afflicted either in body or mind was very extensive.

His WORKS. His controversies were entirely with the Papists. The first piece he published, was against Thomas Dorman, B. D. sometime fellow of New-College, Oxford, who had written a book against some part of bishop Jewel's challenge, and entitled it, A Proufe of Certain Articles in Religion denied by Mr Jewell; [viz. the supremacy of the pope, transubstantiation, communion in one kind, and the mass.] Antwerp, 1564, Mr Nowell's answer, therefore, was " A Reproof of a Book intituled, A Proufe of certain Articles in Religion, denied by Master Jewell, set forth by Thomas Dorman, B. D. London, 1565, 4to. Dorman replying, in a Disproufe of Nowell's Reproufe. Mr Nowell vindicated himself, in II. A Reproof of Mr Dorman's Proof continued, with a Defence of the chief Authority of Princes, as well in causes Ecclesiastical as Civil, within their Dominions, by Mr Dorman maliciously impugned. Lond. 1566, 4to. III. He published A Confutation as well of Mr Dorman's last Boke, intituled, A Disproufe, &c. as also of D. Sanders's Causes of Transubstantiation, by Alexander Nowell. Whereby our Countrymen (especially the simple and unlearned) may understande howe shamefully they are abused by those and like Bokes, pretended to be written for their Instruction. Lond. 1567, 4to. Besides some controversial pieces, he published a catechism, very much esteemed, which he was put upon composing by secretary Cecil, and other great men in the nation purpose to stop a clamour raised amongst the Roman catholics, that the Protestants had no principles. When it was finished, the Dean sent it with a dedication to secretary Cecil. The convocation, that met in 1562, did it so much honour, as diligently to review, and interline it in some places; and unanimously to approve and allow it as their own book, and their professed doctrine. After those corrections, the Dean caused a fair copy of it to be taken,

2

; on

which