Richard Hooker

, that rare and admirable Theologist, was born in, or near to, the City of Exeter, about the time of Easter, an. 1554. (of which City some of his Name and Family have been Mayors,) was exhibited to while a School-boy by John Jewel. B. of Sarum, became one of the Clerks of C. C. coll. in 1567. Scholar 24. Dec. in 73. Fellow and Master of Arts in 77. DeputyProfessor of the Hebrew Language in the University 14. July 1579. entred into Orders, and became a frequent Preacher, married a clownish silly Woman and withal a meer Xantippe, became Rector of Drayton-Beauchamp in Bucks. an. 1584. Master of the Temple in the year following, in the place of Rich. Alvey Bach. of Div. deceased, (who was the first Canon of the fifth stall in the collegiat Church of St. Peter in Westminster,) Rector of Boscomb in Wiltshire, Sub-dean of the Church of Salisbury, and prebendary of Netherhaven in the same Church, (both which he obtained by the resignation of Dr. Nich. Balgay, in July 1591.) and at length Rector of Bishops-Bourne near Canterbury, by the presentation thereunto of the Queen, in 1595. There hath been no learned college in the World, that hath yet yielded at one time almost, and from one County three such Divines as Jewel, Hooker, and Rainolds, of the second of which hear I pray what the learned (h)(h) In Annal. Reg. Elizabeth sub an. 1599. Camden saith. In this year (meaning 1599. which is false,) dyed too many in that one Rich. Hooker, born in Devonshire, and bred in C. C. coll. in Oxford, a Divine very moderate, temperate, and meek, and vertuous even to the best imitation; and besides very famous for his learned works, as his Books of Ecclesiastical Policy, set forth in the English, but worthy to speak Latin, do testifie of him, &c. At Boscomb he continued till he had finished four of his eight proposed books of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Policy, which were entred into the Register in Stationers hall, 9. March 1592. and afterwards came out with this Title.

The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, in four books. Lond. 1594. fol. To which he added a fifth book, (which is larger than the first four,) printed by its self at Lond. 1597. fol. Part of the first four being read by Dr. Tho. Stapleton, in Latin, to P. Clement 8. who before had heard much in their commendation, he the said Pope in conclusion said thus, There is no learning that this Man hath not searched into, nothing too hard [〈◊〉] his Vnderstanding: This man indeed deserves the Name of an Author.—His books will get reverence by age, for there are in them such seeds of Eternity, that if the rest b [•] like this, they shall last till the last Fire shall consume all learning, &c. At the same time K. James of Scotland (afterwards of England) did put an high esteem upon the said books, and usually said, They were the pictures of a Divine Soul in every page of Truth and Reason. King Ch. 1. had read them over several times, was well vers’d in, and commended, them to be read by the Prince, (afterwards K. Ch. 2.) and his other Children, next to the Bible. The learned Vsher Primate of Ireland, Morton B. of Durham, Hales of Eaton, &c. had the same high opinion of the author and his Works, and Gauden Bishop of Worcester said, he had been highly esteemed of all prudent, peaceable, and impartial Readers. But before the fifth book had been extant two years, was published a Pamphlet intit. A Christian Letter of certain English Protestants, unfeigned Lovers of the present state of Religion, authorized and professed in England, unto that reverend and learned man Mr. Hooker, requiring resolution in certain matters of Doctrine expresly contained in his five books of Ecclesiastical Polity.—Printed 1599. in qu. which matters of Doctrine, as they say, seem to overthrow the foundation of Christian Religion, and of the Church among us. But therein it doth appear, that their ignorant malice hath done him great honour; who in an argument so distasted by them, and coming with a proud confidence to reprehend, have only carped sillily at some things, neither of moment or importance, whereof humility and charity would have craved no answer. But these being willing and desirous to find something to oppose, have only discovered Mr Hookers great, mature, and grave judgment, and their own small, undigested and shallow learning. Soon after came out an answer to the said letter, entit. A just and temperate defence of the 5 books of Ecclesiastical polity, &c. against an uncharitable letter of certain English protestants, &c. Lond. 1603. qu. written and published by Will. Covel D. D. born in Lancashi [•] e near the place where Dr. Chaderton B. of Lincoln received his first breath, bred in Christs and Queens coll. in Cambridge, and a writer of other books that came out soon after. As for the other three books of Ecclesiastical Policy, which our author Hooker compleated before his death, they with the consent of his unlucky Widdow, were seized on in his study soon after his decease, by Will. Charke a noted Puritan, and another Minister that lived near to Canterbury; who making the silly Woman believe that they were writings not fit to be seen, did either burn them in the place, or convey them away secretly: So that the foul copy being only remaining, with many interlinings, Dr. Joh. Spenser of C. C. coll. in Oxon. his ancient and entire Friend, got it into his hands, who using the assistance of Hen. Jackson of the said coll. as an Aman [•] ensis, and otherwise, did compleat it as much as could be, and kept it by him till his latter end, with an intent that it should be published, but upon what account he was hindred I cannot tell. Sure it is, that when he lay on his death-bed, he bequeathed the said copy, (containing the three last books) fairly transcribed by the hand of the said H. Jackson, to Dr. Jo. King B. of London. After his death the copy rested in the hands of his Son Henry (who became B. of Chichester 1641.) till Dr. Abbot Archb. of Canterbury commanded them out of his custody, authorizing Dr. Joh. Barcham to require and bring them to him to Lambeth, which accordingly was done. The said Archbishop esteeming them as rarities, did put them into the Library there, where remaining till the decollation of Archb. Laud, were then by the Brethren of the Predominant Faction, given, (i)(i) Dr. Hen. King in his Letter to Is. Walton, 13. Nov. 1664. set before Mr. Hookers Life published in 1665. by the said Walton. with the Library, to that most notorious Villain Hugh Peters, as a reward for his remarkable service in those sad times of the Churches confusion. And though they could hardly fall into a fouler hand, yet there wanted not other endeavours to corrupt and make them speak that Language for which the Faction then fought, which was to subject the Soveraign Power to the People. From the said copy several transcripts were taken, not only, I presume, while it remained in the said Library, but while it continued in the hands of Peters, differing much in words. There was a copy of the sixth and eighth books published at London in 1648. in qu. and said by the Editor of them to be collected and compared with five copies, viz. with that in Bodley’s Library, that at Lambeth, that in Bish. Andrew’s, that in Archb. Vsher’s Library, and in that of the Lord Edw. Conway at Ragley; but whether the publisher may be believed I know not. Sure I am that the said three last books, which are said to be true and genuine, (but from whence obtained I cannot tell,) were published by Dr. Joh. Gauden under this title.

The Works of Mr. Rich. Hooker (that learned, godly, judicious, and eloquent Divine) vindicating the Church of England as truly Christian and duly reformed, in eight books of Ecclesiastical Polity, now compleated, as with the sixth and eighth, so with the seventh, &c. out of his own MSS. never before published, with an account of his holy Life and happy Death. Lond. 1662. fol. But whether the said MSS. were of his own hand-writing, we have good reason to question, as also the greater part of his Life, which he the said Gauden hath falsly written; who with great confidence hath used divers arguments to satisfie the World, that the before-mentioned three books were pen’d by Mr. Hooker, notwithstanding those poysonous assertions against the Regal Power, which are to be found in them. Now altho this is generally confessed, that the said three books are not genuine, yet some Nonconformists, and among these chiefly Mr. Rich. Baxter, do (k)(k) Fascicul. Literarum, &c. by Jo. Hinkley. Lond. 1680. in oct. p. 107. urge seemingly probable reasons to induce a belief that these posthumous books, as published by Dr. Gauden, are to be accounted the true and authentick Writings of Mr. Hooker; yet this must be known, that the reason why the said Mr. Baxter contends so eagerly for their genuineness, is because the said three books, but more especially the eighth, do contain certain popular and false Principles, concerning the true Nature of the Legislative Power, the Original of Government, and the Office of Kings it self, as derived from the People. And on this account it is, that he seems to take a more than ordinary delight in so often telling the World, that the Abettors of these seditious positions have so great a Chruch-man, (l)(l) Ib. in Fasc. p. 102, 103, 104, 105, 106. and in the Second part of the Nonconformists plea for peace, &c. Lond. 1680. in qu. p. 54. 64. and elsewhere in the said Book. as our author was justly esteemed, on their side. It was these and such like Prelatist’s principles as he (m)(m) Ib. p. 100. saith (meaning, I guess, Bish. Jewell, but chiefly Bish. Bilson in his book of Christian Subjection, &c. which he frequently cites as defending the resistance of Superiours in some cases, and such like pernicious tenets, and whom he usually joyns with Mr. Hooker in quotations of (n)(n) Nonconsormists plea for peace. Lond. 1679. in oct. in the 4. pag. of the Pref. and in 124 of the book. See Fascit. Liter. ut sup. p. 100, 101, 102. and in the Apol. for Nonconformists Ministry, &c. Lond. 1681. qu. p. 146. this kind) that led him to what he did, and wrote in the book of Holy Commonwealth, which he hath retracted. And that he may charge these destructive Assertions home on our author, he (o)(o) In his Pref. to the 4. part of his book called Christian Directory, or a summ of practical Theology. Which 4. part is by him intit. Christian Politicks. Lond. 1673. fol. saith, if any do causlesly question whether the eighth imperfect book be in those dangerous passages above-mentioned his own, let them remember that the summ of them is in his first book, which is old, and highly honoured by the Prelatists: And after all this, to shew himself an Enemy to the above-named Principles, he examines and confutes (p)(p) In the fourth part of Christian Directory, chap. 3. the first and eighth books so far, as they make for popularity, (with some strictures intermixed on Bishop Bilson’s false Notes of subjection,) whereby he makes but a scanty satisfaction for the malignant influence those many traiterous opinions, with which his Political Aphorismes are fraught, have had on the minds of many giddy People, towards the withdrawing them from yielding cheerful obedience to their lawful Superiours; and this, notwithstanding he hath sometime since, called this piece in. The eighth book is commonly supposed to have been first published, together with the sixth and seventh, by Bish. Gauden, yet Mr. Baxter (q)(q) In Nonconformists plea for peace, p. 124. affirms that the said eighth book was in print long before that time; which is true, for the sixth and eighth were printed at Lond. 1648. in qu. nay all the eight books, with certain Tractates and Sermons, together with the author’s Life, were published in two vol. in fol. 1617. As for the other Books and Sermons, that our author Hooker hath written, are these following.

Answer to a supplication preferred by Mr. Walt. Travers to the H. H. Lords of the Privy Council. Oxon. 1612. qu.

Causes of contention concerning Church-Government. Oxon. 1641. qu.

As for his Sermons they are these, (1) Discourse of Justification, Works, and how the foundation of Faith is overthrown, on Abak. 1. 4. Oxon. 1612. qu. (2) Of the Nature of Pride, on Abak. 2. 4. Oxon. 1612. qu. (3) Remedy against Sorrow and Fear: Fun. Sermon on Joh. 14. 27. Ox. 1612. qu. (4) Of the certainty and perpetuity of Faith in the Elect, on Abak. 1. 4. (5) Two Sermons upon part of St. Jude’s Epistle, viz. ver. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Oxon. 1614. qu. All which Sermons (with Wickliffs Wicket) were published by Henry Jackson Fellow of C. C. coll. reprinted at London (the Wicket excepted) an. 1622. fol. at the end of the five books of Ecclesiastical Policy, &c. and again at the end of the eight books, Lond. 1682. fol. (6) Serm. on Matth. 7. 7. Found in the study of Dr. Andrews Bishop of Winchester, and published by Isaac Walton, at the end of Dr. Saunderson’s Life. Lond. 1678. oct. What other things our most renowned author Hooker hath extant, I know not, nor any thing else of him, only that paying his last debt to Nature on the second of Nov. 1600 in sixteen hundred, (leaving then behind him the character of Schismaticorum Malleus,) was buried in the Chancel of the Church of Bishops-Bourne in Kent before-mentioned. Over his Grave was, 35 years after, a Monument erected by Will. Cowper Esq; with the Statua of Bust of the Defunct to the middle part of his Body [•] From which Statua was taken the picture of him, set before his Life, written by the said Isaac Walton, of whom by the way I desire the Reader to know, that he was born in the ancient Borough of Stafford, in Aug. 1593. that he was by Trade a Sempster in Chancery-lane in London, where continuing till about 1643. (at which time he found it dangerous for honest men to be there,) he left that City, and lived sometimes at Stafford, and elsewhere, but mostly in the Families of the eminent Clergy-men of England, of whom he was much beloved. He hath written the lives of Dr. Joh. Donne, Sir Hen. Wotton, Mr. Rich. Hooker, Mr. George Herbert, and of Dr. Rob. Sanderson sometimes B. of Lincoln: All which are well done, considering the education of the author; as also The compleat Angler, or the contemplative Man’s recreation, &c. He ended his days (in the great Frost) at Winchester, in the house of Dr. Will. Hawkins, Pre [•] endary of the Church there, (who had married his Daughter,) on the 15. Dec. 1683. and was buried in the Cath. Ch. at that place.