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interrogation, saying, "Does fanaticism extinguish all taste and judgment? or is it only in minds originally weak, that the infection can fix itself? Which ever way the reader may solve the problem, he will naturally ask, Was this the man that was to improve what had been done by Cranmer and Ridley, by Parker and Nowell, and their coadjutors? to give us a form of worship more pure and edifying, more dignified and devout?" But this eloquent calumniator does not stop here. He felt the poetic flame arise; and therefore immediately asks,*

"Is this the region, this the soil, this the clime,

That we must change for heaven? this mournful gloom
For that celestial light?"

We do confess, that so much bombast, scurrility, and bare-faced misrepresentation were scarcely ever found within so small a compass. The reader will at the same time easily perceive, that the whole is designed to extol the church of England, if not above perfection, at least beyond the possibility of amendment; and to blacken the character and disgrace the memory of that man, who was justly esteemed one of the most celebrated divines of the age in which he lived. But whether the treatment which Mr. Cartwright received, was not extremely unjust and cruel; and whether it does not stand as a monument of lasting reproach to those prelates who took an active part in promoting it, is left with every impartial reader to judge. Dr. Thomas Cartwright, bishop of Chester in the reign of James II., and who went the most infamous lengths in support of that monarch's measures, is thought, with some appearance of probability, to have been the grandson of our famous puritan.†

His WORKS, in addition to those whose titles have been already given.-1. A Brief Apology against all such Slanderous Accusations as it pleaseth Mr. Sutcliff, in his pamphlets, most injuriously to load him with, 1596.-2. A Body of Divinity, 1616.-3. A Confutation of the Rhemists Translation, Glosses, and Annotations on the New Testament, 1618.-4. Commentaria practica in totam Historiam Evangelicum, ex quatour Evangelistis harmonice concinnatam, 1630. (An elegant edition of this work was printed at Amsterdam, in 1647, entitled, "Harmonia Evangelica, Commentario, analytico, metaphrastico, practico, illustrata, &c.")-5. Commentarii succincti & dilucidi in Proverbia Solomonis, 1638.-6. Metaphrasis & Homiliæ in librum Solomonis qui inscribitur Ecclesiastes, 1647.-7. Glosses and Annotations.

• Churton's Life of Nowell, p. 225.
✦ Biog. Britan, vol. iii. p. 297. Edit. 1778.
VOL. II.

M

Ibid. p. 286.

EDWARD PHILIPS, A. M.-This zealous puritan was educated in Pembroke college, Oxford. Afterwards he settled in London, and became preacher at St. Saviour's, Southwark, where he had a large congregation, mostly per sons of puritan principles, by whom, says Wood, he was esteemed "a person zealous for the truth of God, powerful in his calling, faithful in his ministry, careful of his flock, peaceable and blameless in his life, and constant and comfortable in his death." And surely the people of his own particular charge were as likely to know these things as any others. Our author denominates him a zealous Calvinist, an avowed enemy to popery, and constantly laborious in the propagation of puritanism and practical religion.*

His excellent endowments were not, indeed, a sufficient protection against the oppressions of the times. For, in the year 1596, he was cited before Archbishop Whitgift and other high commissioners, when he was suspended from his ministry and committed to the Gatehouse. The crimes for which he was thus punished, were contained in the following articles:-1. "That he broke the order appointed, by preaching on a Thursday, instead of Wednesday, which was appointed to be observed as a day of fasting and prayer.— 2. That by preaching on Thursday, he turned a day of rejoicing and feasting into a day of mourning and abstinence; which, by hindering hospitality, made the case worse.3. That he continued the service much too long, even from nine o'clock till one.-4. That as soon as the service was ended, he very schismatically led many people to hear Mr. Downham's sermon.-5. That he agreed with Mr. Downham to keep his exercise with fasting in the afternoon." These were the marvellous charges alleged against him, for which he met with the above oppressive treatment. Our learned historian, indeed, says, "It is but just to observe, that Mr. Philips did observe the Wednesday, only he preached on the Thursday, because, being his regular lecture day, he was likely to have a larger congregation: that he went not to Mr. Downham's church till an hour and a half after he had finished at his own: that when he went he had only the company of Mrs. Ratcliff and his fellow minister, and both their wives; and that he did not persuade Mr. Downham to keep his exercise in the afternoon; but he had purposed so to do, even before he spoke to him about it, as Mr. Downham himself confessed before the high commissioners.”+

* Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 276, 277.

+ Strype's Whitgift, p. 490, 491.

From this impartial statement, it may be doubted whether so excellent and useful a minister of Christ was ever suspended and cast into prison upon such trivial and ridiculous charges before.

It does not appear how long the good man continued in a state of confinement. If his persecutors considered the above charges so dangerous to the episcopal authority and the church of England, as to justify their proceedings, he might remain a long time. He died about the year 1608. Mr. Philips most probably never published any thing himself; but after his death, in 1605, Sir Henry Yelverton, afterwards judge, who having been his constant hearer, had taken down some of his sermons as they were delivered, published a volume, entitled, "Two and thirty godly and learned Sermons.”*

MR. MIDGLEY was many years vicar of Rochdale in Lancashire, and a man of high reputation in his time. He is denominated a grave and godly minister, whose praise was great in the gospel.+ In the year 1585, he was ap pointed by the Bishop of Chester, to be one of the modera tors of the religious exercises in that diocese. He was greatly admired and beloved by the puritans. Dr. Chad derton made mention of him, at the Hampton-court conference, in 1603. He requested on that occasion, that the wearing of the surplice, and the use of the cross in baptism, might not be urged upon certain ministers in Lancashire, and particularly upon the vicar of Rochdale. The request was no sooner presented, than Archbishop Whitgift replied, saying, "You could not have light upon a worse. For not many years ago it was proved before me, that by his irre verent usage of the eucharist, in dealing the bread out of a basket, every one putting in his hand and taking out a piece, he made many loathe the communion, and refuse to come to church." His grace in this statement was certainly mistaken. It could not be Mr. Midgley's "irreverent usage of the eucharist," in the way described, but their own igno rance, bigotry, and superstition, which produced those evils. Mr. Midgley was the pious and laborious minister of Rochdale nearly fifty years, and is said to have been instru

Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 277.

+ Clark's Lives annexed to Martyrologie, p. 68.
Strype's Annals, vol. ii, Appen. p. 75.
Fuller's Church Hist. b. x. p. 20.

mental in the conversion of thousands of souls; yet he was silenced and deprived by the Bishop of Chester for nonconformity.* He was the happy means in the conversion of Mr. Richard Rothwell, another worthy puritan divine. Mr. Midgley's son was also vicar of Rochdale, and a man of distinguished eminence. He presented "The Abridgment of the Lincolnshire Ministers' Reasons" to Bishop Morton, who afterwards published an answer to it. Both father and son were deprived for nonconformity. The latter, after his deprivation, turned physician, and was afterwards prosecuted for refusing to kneel at the sacrament.+

WILLIAM HUBBOCK, A. M.-He was born in the county of Durham, in the year 1560, and educated first in Magdalen-hall, then in Corpus Christi college, Oxford. Afterwards entering upon the sacred function, says the Oxford historian, he was in great repute for his learning; and he might have added, that he was a divine of distinguished worth, on account of his christian piety, his excellent preaching, and his manifold labours; and that he was highly esteemed and admired by some of the most worthy persons in the nation. Mr. Strype denominates him one of Mr. Cartwright's fraternity, yet a modest nonconformist.

In the year 1590, Mr. Hubbock was cited before Archbishop Whitgift, and other high commissioners, at Lambeth, when he was charged with having preached a sermon at Oxford, in which he made some reflections upon a certain great person (this was the archbishop,) which the commissioners held to be undutiful and seditious. He was therefore required, as a just punishment of his crime, to enter into bonds that he would preach no more, nor come again within ten miles of Oxford. Upon the proposal of these demands, he thus replied, in the presence of his judges: "I cannot, with a safe conscience, enter into any such bonds, nor do any thing by which I should willingly exclude myself from the exercise of my ministry. Nevertheless, if I must be put to silence, I had rather be committed to prison, than thus silence myself; especially unless I had committed some fault, by preaching some false doctrine, or by publishing some offence, for which I justly deserved to be punished. Whitgift, at the same time, required him to subscribe, signifying, that, if he would comply, he should be dismissed,

* Burges's Answer Rejoined, p. 218. Edit. 1631. + Paget's Defence, Pref.

Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 281.

and his troubles ended. But the good man refused subscription, as well as entering into bonds; and, accordingly, received the ecclesiastical censure.*

In this state of perplexity and distress, Mr. Hubbock made application to Sir Francis Knollys; who, most warmly espousing his cause, immediately wrote to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh, recommending his distressing case to his lordship's consideration. But the zealous intercessions of these great statesmen were of no avail whatever. Whitgift and his brethren had passed a decree against Mr. Hubbock, which, like the laws of the Medes and Persians, could not be altered. With this decree, however, the treasurer was much displeased. Though our learned historian has altogether failed in saying what the decree was, we may easily conjecture, that, as it proceeded from Lambeth, and was against a divine of puritan principles, it savoured not of the things of Jesus Christ.

But the treasurer did not immediately relinquish the cause of this injured servant of Christ. One repulse from the archbishop did not discourage him. Beholding the severity with which the good man was treated, he still took his part, and wrote again to the archbishop, boldly declaring, "That Mr. Hubbock had committed no offence, only he had said in his sermon, that a great nobleman (meaning the archbishop) had kneeled down to her majesty, for staying and hindering her intent to reform religion." Sir Francis Knollys also wrote again to the treasurer in these words: "You know how greatly and how tyrannically the archbishop hath urged subscription to his own articles without law; and that he has claimed a right of superiority in the bishops over the inferior clergy, from God's own ordinance, to the great injury of her majesty's supreme government. Though at present he does not profess to claim it; yet I think he ought openly to retract it."+

The worthy endeavours of these illustrious statesmen proved altogether ineffectual. The inflexible prelates would not alter their purpose. The good man continued under the sentence of his spiritual judges; but how long, or whether he was ever restored, our materials fail to afford sufficient information. Mr. Hubbock published “An Oration Gratulatory upon King James's Coronation,” 1604; and several sermons.

* Strype's Whitgift, p. 341.

+Ibid. p. 341, 342.

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