his patron." Before this he was a Calvinist, but the arguments of Episcopius, in favour of Universal Redemption, were so strong, that from that time, as he told one of his particular friends, he "bade John Calvin good night.t". By the interest either of Savile or Carleton, but most probably the former, he was made a fellow of Eton College; but being suspected of holding some unsound notions, Archbishop Laud sent for him to Lambeth. Of this interview Dr. Heylyn, in his life of that great but unfortunate prelate, gives us the following account. "About nine of the clock in the morning Hales came to know his Grace's pleasure, who took him along with him into his garden, com This assembly was held for no other purpose than to condemn those who professed the doctrines commonly called Arminian and these letters, written by Mr. Hales, give a very exact, but by no means a pleasing picture of this famous Protestant Council. It appears that though the Remonstrants (as the Arminians were called) were summoned to the Synod, they were not permitted to speak in it, but were treated as criminals. Our James the first was weak enough to send deputies thither to represent the Churches of England and Scotland; but it is remarkable, that these delegates came home much more moderate than they went out. + Sometime afterwards, a friend calling upon Mr. Hales, found him reading Calvin's Institutions, on which he asked him" if he was not yet passed that book," to which he answered, In my younger days I. ad it to inform myself, but now I read it to reform him.' manding ARCHBISHOP LAUD. THIS eminent prelate was the son of William Laud, a clothier, at Reading, and born there in 1573. From the free school there, he was removed to Oxford in 1589. In 1593, he was elected fellow, and in the year ensuing took the degree of B. A. and in 1598 that of M. A. being also chosen grammar lecturer for that year. In 1600, he was ordained deacon, and priest in 1601. Being chosen proctor of the university in 1603, he became chaplain to Charles Blount, Earl of Devonshire, and the year following took the degree of B. D. Contending for the visibility of the church, the necessity of baptism and diocesan bishops, he was opposed by Dr. Holland, at that time divinity professor, as aiming to sow division between the church of England and the reformed churches abroad. Henceforward his opinions rendered him obnoxious to moderate men, and the public resentment was not a little increased by his imprudently marrying his patron, the Earl of Devonshire, to Penelope, the divorced wife of Lord Robert Rich. Till 1617, his promotion in the church was very considerable, and he was now chosen to attend his Majesty, James I. to Scotland, where his fruitless endeavours to bring the kirk to a uniformity with that of England served to increase the number of its enemies. Charles I. ascending the throne, bishop Laud was taken into the highest degree of favour and confidence; he was extremely active in the high commission court, and is supposed to have prompted the execution of the barbarous sentence passed upon Dr. Alexander Leighton, a Scotch divine, who wrote "Zion's Plea against Prelacy." In his professional capacity, after Laud became archbishop, his chief employment seems to have been the care of the externals of religion. He caused the churches in general to be ornamented with pictures and images; the communion tables in each to be railed in at the east end, and denominated altars. Kneeling at these altars, and the use of copes, were also rigorously enforced, the whole of which were regarded as so many advances towards popery. In 1634, he caused the revival of "The Book of Sports," actively prosecuting such clergymen as refused to read it. His next effort was to compel foreigners residing in England to conform to the established church. The violent proceedings against Prynne, Bastwick, and Burton, generally increased the popular resentment against the archbishop; his ingratitude to archbishop Williams; the measures he advised against Scotland; and, lastly, what was deemed the pious mummery performed by himself in the consecration of the church of St. Catharine Cree; contributed to render this unfortunate ecclesiastic almost an object of general detestation. The constitutional canons issued from the convocation, continued by Laud after it should have broken up, at length roused all the vengeance of the celebrated assembly, called the Long Parliament. Denzell Holles, second son to the Earl of Clare, by their order, impeached the archbishop of high crimes and misdemeanors at the bar of the upper house. In March 1641, he was committed to the Tower amidst the reproaches and insults of multitudes, and ordered to pay a fine of more than 20,000. In 1644, he was brought to trial, which lasted twenty days, and he was found guilty, though not upon sufficient evidence; the king's pardon was disregarded, and, on the 10th of January 1645, beheaded on Tower-hill; where, though he made a long and affecting speech, numbers seemed to rejoice in his death; and he thus fell a victim to his endeavours to extend the royal prerogative beyond its due limits in church and state. He was, says Fuller, low in stature, little in bulk, cheerful in countenance, of a sharp and piercing eye, clear judgement, and, abating the influence of age, of firm memory. his patron. Before this he was a Calvinist, but the arguments of Episcopius, in favour of Universal Redemption, were so strong, that from that time, as he told one of his particular friends, he "bade John Calvin good night.”. By the interest either of Savile or Carleton, but most probably the former, he was made a fellow of Eton College; but being suspected of holding some unsound notions, Archbishop Laud sent for him to Lambeth. Of this interview Dr. Heylyn, in his life of that great but unfortunate prelate, gives us the following account. "About nine of the clock in the morning Hales came to know his Grace's pleasure, who took him along with him into his garden, com This assembly was held for no other purpose than to condemn those who professed the doctrines commonly called Arminian: and these letters, written by Mr. Hales, give a very exact, but by no means a pleasing picture of this famous Protestant Council. It appears that though the Remonstrants (as the Arminians were called) were summoned to the Synod, they were not permitted to speak in it, but were treated as criminals. Our James the first was wea'. puties thither to represent the Churche land; but it is remarkable, that th much more moderate than they + Sometime afterwards, a found him reading Calvin' him "if he was not yet swered, In my your now I read it to ref manding that none of his servants should come to him upon any occasion. There they continued in discourse till the bell rang to prayers, and after prayers were ended, till the dinner was ready, and after that too, till the coming in of the Lord Conway, and some other persons of honour, put a necessity upon some of the servants to give him notice how the time had passed away. So in they came, high coloured, and almost panting for want of breath; enough to shew that there had been some heats between them, not then fully cooled. It was my chance to be there that day, either to know his Grace's pleasure, or to render an account of some former commands, but I know not which; and I found Hales very glad to see me in that place, as being himself a mere stranger to it, and unknown to all. He told me afterwards, that he found the archbishop, (whom he knew before a nimble disputant) to be as well versed in books as business; that he had been ferretted by him from one hole to another, till there was none left to afford him any further shelter; that he was now resolved to be orthodox, and to declare himself a true son of the Church of England, both for doctrine and discipline; that to this end he had obtained leave to call himself his Grace's chaplain, that naming him in his public prayers for his lord and patron, the greater notice might be taken of the alteration. Thus was Hales gained into the church, and gained a good preferment in it; being promoted not long after, by the archbishop's recommendation, to a canonry of Windsor, and to hold the same by dispensation with his place at Eton."* Wood calls him a walking library; and says that "he was a man highly esteemed by learned men abroad and at home, from whom he seldom failed to receive letters every week, wherein his judgment was desired on various points of learning. He was a very hard student to the last, and a great faster, it being his constant custom to fast from Thursday dinner to Saturday; and though a person of wonderful knowledge, yet he was so modest, as to be patiently contented to hear the disputes of persons at table, and those of small abilities, without interposing or speaking a word, till desired. "As for his justness and uprightness in his dealings," says the same writer, "all that knew him, have avouched him to be incomparable: for when he was bursar of his college, and had received bad money, he would lay it aside, and put good of his own in the room of it, to pay others: insomuch that sometimes he has thrown into the river twenty or thirty pounds at a time; all which he hath stood to the loss of himself, rather than the society or the public should be injured." |